ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Ipsos MORI

Eric Pickles: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what payments the Electoral Commission made to Ipsos MORI in the last 24 months; and for what purposes.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that the total payment made to Ipsos MORI in the last 24 months was £181,928. This covered five public opinion research studies where the public were consulted on a number of issues including electoral administration, electoral registration, the conduct of elections, party funding and absent voters.

Political Parties: Finance

John Mann: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission on what dates specific guidance was sent to hon. and right hon. Members by the Electoral Commission on the reporting of donations by regulated donees since 2000.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that the Commission's guidance for Members of Parliament was included in the Standards in the Commons pack produced by the Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and sent by that Office to all Members in December 2003.
	Following the 2005 general election, the Commission's summary guidance for Members was included in the Standards in the Commons pack sent by the Office of the Commissioner in May 2005 to all new Members. All Members elected at subsequent by-elections have also been provided with a copy of the summary guidance.
	The Commission has written separately to regulated donees who stand for elective office within their party, offering advice and providing a copy of the relevant regulated donee guidance.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Zero-Grazing

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions on the welfare implications for dairy cattle of zero-grazing he has had at EU level; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: We have not held any discussions at EU level and there are none planned in the foreseeable future.

Air Pollution: East of England

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 2270-71W, on air pollution: East of England, what funds each local authority in the East of England has received from the Department's air quality grant programme; and how many individual grants were made in the East of England under the programme in each of the last three years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The air quality grant programme is a capital grant scheme established under section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003. The following table details the air quality grant payments made in the last three financial years to local authorities in the East of England.
	
		
			   Award 
			  East of England  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Cambridge city council joint award with South Cambridgeshire district council and Huntingdonshire district council — — 15,000.00 
			 Chelmsford borough council — — 10,000.00 
			 Great Yarmouth borough council — — 18,000.00 
			 Kings Lynn and West Norfolk borough council — — 43,000.00 
			 Mid Bedford district council — 10,000.00 18,500.00 
			 South Cambridgeshire district council — — 27,000.00 
			 Suffolk county council — 24,000.00 6,200.00 
			 Ipswich borough council 32,904.00 — — 
			 South Norfolk council 15,000.00 — — 
			 North Norfolk district council 20,000.00 — — 
			 Bedford borough council — 28,000.00 — 
			 Broxbourne borough council — 10,000.00 — 
			 Colchester borough council — 13,500.00 — 
			 Fenland district council — 3,390.00 — 
			 St. Albans district council — 15,000.00 — 
			 Suffolk Coastal district council — 65,000.00 — 
			 Total 67,904.00 168,890.00 137,700.00

Air Pollution: East of England

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 2270-71W, on air pollution: East of England, how many areas formerly designated as air quality management areas have had that designation lifted in each year since 1997.

Jonathan R Shaw: Local authorities can amend or revoke an existing air quality management area order where it appears from a subsequent air quality review that the air quality standards and objectives are being achieved and are likely to continue to be achieved within the designated area.
	Since 1997, seven local authorities in the East of England have revoked air quality management areas, as shown in table 1. Where a local authority had designated more than one individual air quality management area, or one single larger area, the authority only revoked the area where the objectives were achieved. Following the revocation, some local authorities declared further air quality management areas in different areas within their borough where air quality objectives were not being achieved. These are shown in table 2.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			   Number of local authorities that revoked air quality management areas 
			 2003 1 
			 2004 3 
			 2005 1 
			 2006 2 
			 2007 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2 
			  Number  Authority  Year of revocation  Pollution  Current status 
			 1. Babergh district council 2004 Nitrogen dioxide Authority has no air quality management area. 
			 2. East Hertfordshire council 2004 Particulate matter Authority still has an air quality management area for nitrogen dioxide. 
			 3. Hertsmere council 2006 Nitrogen dioxide Authority has declared further air quality management areas for nitrogen dioxide. 
			 4. Kings Lynn and West Norfolk district council 2006 Particulate matter Authority still has an air quality management area for nitrogen dioxide. 
			 5. St. Albans city and district council 2004 Nitrogen dioxide Authority has declared further air quality management areas for nitrogen dioxide. 
			 6. St. Edmundsbury borough council 2003 Nitrogen dioxide Authority has no air quality management area. 
			 7. Thurrock council 2005 Nitrogen dioxide Authority has declared further air quality management areas for nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter.

Eaga Partnership: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will arrange for Eaga to send a substantive reply to the letter to the Chief Executive of Eaga Partnership of 16 January 2008 from the hon. Member for Walsall, North pursuant to the interim reply of 19 February 2008.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 12 March 2008
	Following on from Eaga's interim reply of 19 February, a full response has now been dispatched.

Ground Water: Pollution

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which 10 sites have the highest level of contamination of groundwater by  (a) PCBs and  (b) other toxic substances in England; what remedial action is proposed for each site; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: Most contaminated land in England, including where groundwater is contaminated, is inspected and regulated by local authorities. This can be undertaken through the land use planning regime or Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA1990). For this reason we do not hold detailed, national information about the sites where groundwater is contaminated by any particular substance or group of substances.

Landfill Tax

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the operation by his Department of disbursement arrangements of tax foregone on the landfill levy.

Joan Ruddock: My officials and I have regular discussions with representatives from HM Treasury. Disbursement arrangements of tax forgone on the landfill levy is however, a matter for HM Treasury Ministers to decide.

Waste Management: Local Authorities

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the letter sent by his Department to local authority chief executives in October 2007 with the subject Classification and reporting of waste.

Joan Ruddock: I am arranging for the information requested to be placed in the House Library.

Water Charges

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what the timetable is of the independent review of water charging announced in his Department's water strategy;
	(2)  what the  (a) remit and  (b) scope of the independent review of water charging is; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  who will undertake the independent review of water charging announced in his Department's water strategy.

Phil Woolas: In "Future Water", the Government's water strategy, we outlined informally both the remit and scope for the independent review of charging households for water and sewerage services. Work is under way to commission the review, including appointing a reviewer and agreeing the final terms of reference and timetable for the review. These details will be announced in due course.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Homosexuality: Belfast

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether a meeting has taken place between the organiser of the 2007 Belfast Pride parade and the full Parades Commission; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: I can confirm that a meeting took place between the parade organiser and the full Parades Commission on 30 January 2008.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Palace of Westminster: Industrial Health and Safety

John McDonnell: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many accidents resulting in injuries have occurred on the Parliamentary Estate in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Nick Harvey: The number of reported accidents resulting in injuries which have occurred on the parliamentary estate is as follows:
	
		
			  Calendar year  Reported injuries 
			 2003 215 
			 2004 172 
			 2005 143 
			 2006 143 
			 2007 136

Palace of Westminster: Industrial Health and Safety

John McDonnell: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many incidents there have been in which House of Commons security officers have been injured in the course of their work in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and at which location each injury occurred.

Nick Harvey: The number of reported incidents resulting in injuries to individuals, including police officers, who undertake security duties is set out as follows. Figures are not available for years before 2005.
	
		
			  Calendar year  Number of reported injuries  Location of incident 
			 2005 16 Black Rod's Garden (2) 
			   Portcullis House escalators (2) 
			   St. Stephen's search point (2) 
			   Derby Gate (3) 
			   Mess room (1) 
			   Canon Row (1) 
			   Chancellor's Gate (1) 
			   New Palace Yard (1) 
			   Palm Court (1) 
			   Carriage Gates (1) 
			   Norman Shaw North (1) 
			
			 2006 13 Speaker's Court (1) 
			   Peers' entrance/car park (2) 
			   St. Stephen's search point (1) 
			   Derby Gate (1) 
			   Flower shop (1) 
			   Canon Row (2) 
			   Chancellor's Gate (1) 
			   New Palace Yard (1) 
			   Carriage Gates (1) 
			   Norman Shaw North (1) 
			   Westminster Underground entrance (1) 
			
			 2007 18 Black Rod's Garden (2) 
			   Royal Court (1) 
			   Palm Court (2) 
			   Portcullis House (1) 
			   St. Stephen's search point (1) 
			   Derby Gate (2) 
			   Abingdon Street (1) 
			   Canon Row (1) 
			   Carriage Gates (3) 
			   Norman Porch (1) 
			   New Palace Yard (1) 
			   Palm Court (2)

Palace of Westminster: Industrial Health and Safety

John McDonnell: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how much the House authorities have paid in compensation for injuries occurring on the Parliamentary Estate in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Nick Harvey: The cash amounts paid in compensation for injuries in each of the last five financial years was:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2003-04 47,563 
			 2004-05 55,921 
			 2005-06 28,362 
			 2006-07 10,836 
			 2007-08 20,318

Parliamentary ICT

David Laws: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if the Commission will take steps to ensure that Parliamentary ICT staff provide support and services to all IT equipment and software on the parliamentary estate which is  (a) purchased with parliamentary allowances and  (b) used for parliamentary business; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The Commission has recently endorsed the recommendation of the Administration Committee that Parliamentary ICT (PICT) can only offer full support to centrally provided IT equipment, services and software, on both practical and economic grounds. PICT will be announcing two new services shortly that will allow those Members who use their equipment to connect directly to the internet from their Westminster office over broadband at their own expense or for free via wireless in one of the Wi Fi zones that are currently available across the estate. With the agreement of the Commission, PICT is considering the circumstances under which limited 'best endeavours' support can be offered to Members own equipment that is used for parliamentary purposes.

Security

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many security passes which give access to the Palace of Westminster and its associated buildings were issued in each of the last five years, broken down by category; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: Total numbers of passes issued giving access to the Palace of Westminster and its associated outbuildings in each of the last five years are:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2003 13,047 
			 2004 13,675 
			 2005 14,456 
			 2006 13,935 
			 2007-08 13,335 
		
	
	The change to the access and pass system meant that new passes were issued to all passholders during 2007. Instead of a misleadingly high figure for 2007, therefore, a figure is given for 2007-08 on the basis of the number of active passes on 13 March 2008.
	The information by category is available but is in a format that related to the old pass categories, which no longer exist. Prior to 5 November 2007 there were over 90 categories of pass. With the introduction of the new access control system this number has been substantially reduced.

Security

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many  (a) males and  (b) females, broken down by age group, had their Palace of Westminster pass (i) suspended and (ii) revoked in each year since 1997; and what the reason was in each case.

Nick Harvey: Only one Palace of Westminster pass has been revoked since 1997. This revocation was in 2007 and was for reasons of security intelligence.

Security

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many members of the press lobby  (a) have vehicle passes for the Palace of Westminster and  (b) have had their lobby passes removed in the last 10 years.

Nick Harvey: Currently 10 members of the press lobby have vehicle passes for the Palace of Westminster. The provision of any future passes is under review.
	No lobby passes have been removed in the last 10 years.

Security

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission on which occasions  (a) objects were thrown into the Chamber from the public gallery and  (b) the public gallery was closed during a sitting of the House by order of the Speaker in each session since 1977-78.

Nick Harvey: Police records only go back as far as 2001. There is one incident recorded which occurred on 21 February 2005. This relates to the Fathers 4 Justice demonstrators who threw purple powder at the Prime Minister during Prime Minister's Questions. Two persons were arrested and the House was suspended for a short time, including the closure of the public gallery. This is the only recorded closure of the public gallery by order of the Speaker.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Department

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new urgent care centres are planned to open by 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Primary care trusts are responsible for the provision of a high quality, integrated urgent care service that meets the needs of their local population. There are no national plans to open new urgent care centres.

Breastfeeding

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2008,  Official Report, column 665W, on breastfeeding, how much was spent on the National Helpline in the 2007-08 financial year.

Ivan Lewis: Since 2003, the Department initiated the development of the National Breastfeeding Helpline in collaboration with the voluntary sector. In 2007-08, the Department provided a total of £2,000 to meet the cost of rented lines.

Chronically Sick: Castle Point

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in implementing the targets for the National Service Framework of Long-Term Conditions in Castle Point.

Ann Keen: It is for individual primary care trusts (PCTs), including South East Essex PCT, within the national health service to develop locally the levels of service described in the "National Service Framework for Long-term (Neurological) Conditions" (the NSF). The NSF has a 10-year implementation programme from its publication in March 2005, with flexibility for organisations to set the pace of change locally to take account of differences in local priorities and needs. A copy of the NSF is available in the Library.
	Information on the progress that has been achieved locally with regard to the implementation of the targets set out in the NSF can be obtained direct from South East Essex PCT.

Dental Services: Lancashire

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking on the provision of NHS dental services in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency.

Ivan Lewis: Responsibility for the provision of dental services lies with local primary care trusts (PCTs). Increasing the number of patients seen within national health service dental services is now a formal priority in the NHS operating framework for 2008-09 and we have supported this with a very substantial 11 per cent. uplift in overall allocations to PCTs from 1 April 2008. The net primary dental service allocation for North Lancashire PCT for 2008-09 is £7,015,000. Income from dental charges paid by patients will supplement this resource.
	The North Lancashire PCT is responsible for commissioning services, including dental services, to meet the need of its total population within the available resources.

Departmental Advertising

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of his Department's expenditure was on advertising in each of the last 10 years.

Ben Bradshaw: The following table shows the percentage of departmental expenditure against advertising expenditure in each of the years where figures are available.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Department of Health resource expenditure(1) 49,284 56,750 61,661 69,777 75,434 85,647 92,021 
			 Central departmental spending on advertising(2) 43 34 38 50 54 43 41 
			 NHS spending on advertising(3) 102 119 124 132 114 75 37 
			 Total spend on advertising 145 153 162 182 168 117 77 
			 Percentage of Department's spend on advertising 0.29 0.27 0.26 0.26 0.22 0.14 0.08 
			 (1) Annex A2 of departmental report.  (2) Annex E of departmental report.  (3) Annual financial returns of health authorities, strategic health authorities, primary care trusts 2000-01 to 2006-07.   Note:  NHS financial accounts report advertising as a single line so therefore it is not possible to identify media only spend.

Departmental Land

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of land owned by his Department is unused; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: It is estimated that 70 per cent. of stand-alone land owned by the Department is unused. All such land is programmed either to be sold or its ownership transferred to the national health service for long-term health use.

Departmental Older Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people over the age of 55 have been recruited by his Department in each of the last three years.

Ben Bradshaw: The number of people over the age of 55 recruited by the Department in each of the last three full financial years and in the first 11 months of the current financial year are presented in the following table.
	
		
			  Financial year  Number of staff 
			 2007-08 (11 months) 5 
			 2006-07 1 
			 2005-06 14 
			 2004-05 5

Departmental Property

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residential properties are owned by his Department; how many of these are vacant; and how many have been vacant for longer than  (a) three months,  (b) six months and  (c) 12 months.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department owns 22 individual residential properties, nine of which are in one block. 14 are occupied and the remainder have been vacant for more than 12 months. All bar one has been marketed.
	Residential accommodation that may have existed on surplus hospital sites awaiting disposal has not been included.

Written Questions

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of parliamentary questions for answer on a named day to his Department received a  (a) holding and  (b) substantive answer on the named day in each year since 2001.

Ben Bradshaw: Information is only available from 2003, as set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of named day questions received  Number answered on the day specified  Percentage answered on the day specified 
			 2003 1,113 321 29 
			 2004 1,055 325 31 
			 2005 1,299 293 16 
			 2006 1,714 906 53 
			 2007 1,426 855 60

Elderly: Carers

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial support is made available to persons over the age of 65 acting as full-time carers.

Anne McGuire: I have been asked to reply.
	Since October 2002, carers aged 65 or over have been able to claim carer's allowance.
	A carer who receives state pension at a lower rate than carer's allowance can receive an amount of carer's allowance to make up the difference. Carers who are entitled to a rate of state pension equivalent to or more than the rate of carer's allowance cannot receive both benefits. However, entitlement to carer's allowance also attracts the additional amount for carers in pension credit, currently 27.15 per week, for those eligible. More than 220,000 carers in lower-income households are gaining from this measure.

Emergency Ambulance Services

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the cost of operating emergency ambulance services in Hemel Hempstead constituency was in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to improve emergency ambulance services in  (a) Hemel Hempstead constituency and  (b) Hertfordshire.

Ben Bradshaw: Information on expenditure is not available in the format requested. Information prior to 2000-01 is not available. Information is held by ambulance trust rather than by constituency. The Hemel Hempstead constituency is served by East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust, which was formed in 2006. Prior to that, it was served by Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Paramedic and Ambulance Service NHS Trust.
	Information for these individual organisations from 2000-01 onwards is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  The emergency patient transport services expenditure for Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Paramedic and Ambulance Service NHS Trust (2000-06) and for East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust 
			   Name of trust  Emergency patient transport services expenditure (000) 
			 2000-01 Beds and Herts Ambulance and Paramedic Trust 16,891 
			 2001-02 Beds and Herts Ambulance and Paramedic Trust 20,079 
			 2002-03 Beds and Herts Ambulance and Paramedic Trust 22,609 
			 2003-04 Beds and Herts Ambulance and Paramedic Trust 23,975 
			 2004-05 Beds and Herts Ambulance and Paramedic Trust 28,540 
			 2005-06 Beds and Herts Ambulance and Paramedic Trust 35,550 
			 2006-07 East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust 104,522 
			  Source: National Health Service Trust Financial Returns TFR6 2000-01 to 2006-07 
		
	
	It is for strategic health authorities, as the local headquarters of the NHS, and primary care trusts, as commissioners, to ensure that national response time standards are delivered and maintained by ambulance trusts.
	The hon. Member may wish to raise this with the chief executive of the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

General Practitioners

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GP surgeries serve settlements of fewer than 10,000 people; and how many such surgeries were sold to private providers in each year since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: In 2007, there were 1,221 general practitioner (GP) practices located in settlements of fewer than 10,000 people. We do not hold information on the sale of GP practices to any form of contractors.

General Practitioners: Staffordshire

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were seen by out of hours GP services in  (a) Tamworth and  (b) Staffordshire in each of the last 10 years.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is not held centrally. My hon. Friend may therefore wish to approach the chief executive of South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust (PCT), which may hold some information on numbers of patients seen by out of hours general practitioner services.
	PCTs now have a legal responsibility to ensure that they provide, or secure provision of out of hours services for their local population.

General Practitioners: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GP superclinics he plans to establish in Tamworth constituency.

Ben Bradshaw: South Staffordshire PCT will receive additional investment to procure a new general practitioner-led Health Centre from the 250 million access fund announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 10 October 2007. This Health Centre will open seven days a week from 8 am until 8 pm and will offer flexible appointments and walk-in and other services, for either registered or non-registered patients.

General Practitioners: Working Hours

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of general practitioners were contracted by their primary care trust to provide extended opening hours in each year since 2004-05.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not currently collected centrally.

General Practitioners: Working Hours

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of GP surgeries that routinely open out of hours, broken down by primary care trust; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not currently collected centrally.

General Practitioners: Working Hours

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government is taking to ensure that requirements for GPs to extend opening hours in the evening or at weekends are not accompanied by reductions in availability at other times; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Primary care trusts already have a duty to ensure that general practitioner practices are fulfilling their current contractual obligations of core hour availability. This will not change when opening hours are extended.
	As part of the directed enhanced service arrangements, currently being negotiated with the British Medical Association, and its accompanying guidance, we will ensure that extended opening hours will be in addition to what is already being offered by practices and that there should be no consequential reductions of availability during core hours.

Health Services: Expenditure

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money was  (a) allocated to and  (b) spent from each central budget held at (i) his Department and (ii) strategic health authorities in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: Listings of all Centrally Funded Initiatives Services and Special Allocations (CFISSA) programme allocations by budget title and value from 2002-03 to 2006-07 are contained in the departmental reports which are available in the Library. Details are as follows:
	2003Table 6.6 Centrally Funded Initiatives and Services and Special Allocations
	2004Table 6.6 Centrally Funded Initiatives and Services and Special Allocations
	2005Table 6.9 Centrally Funded Initiatives and Services and Special Allocations
	2006Table 6.9 Centrally Funded Initiatives and Services and Special Allocations
	2007Table 9.21 Centrally Managed NHS Budgets
	The CFISSA programme is the national health service related funding that is not issued to primary care trusts as part of their initial resource limits. Commencing with the 2007 Departmental Report this area is now referred to as the centrally managed NHS Budgets.
	Total expenditure of the CFISSA/centrally managed programme from 2002-03 to 2006-07 is contained in the operating cost statement in each year of the Resource Accounts.
	It would be at disproportionate cost for the Department to list expenditure from each individual central budget held in each of the last five years due to the very large number of budgets and several departmental re-organisations.

Health Services: Greater London

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will publish a breakdown of  (a) the costs to date and  (b) the estimated final costs of the Healthcare for London Review;
	(2)  how much has been paid to  (a) IPSOS MORI and  (b) other external providers in relation to the Healthcare for London review;
	(3)  how many responses to date  (a) in total and  (b) from each primary care trust area have been received by the Healthcare for London Review.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is not held centrally.
	Proposals for changes to services are a matter for the national health service locally. The Department does not hold information on the detailed breakdown of Healthcare for London's costs and responsesthis is available directly from NHS London.
	The hon. Member may wish to raise this issue locally with NHS London.

Health Services: Private Sector

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of healthcare has been delivered by the private sector in each year since 1980.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 14 March 2008
	The Department has figures for the total purchase of healthcare from non-national health service bodies for the years 1997-98 to 2006-07, as shown in the following table. However, it should be noted that these figures relate to healthcare expenditure with all non-NHS bodies including the private sector.
	
		
			  Spend on non-NHS provision 
			   Total ()  As a percentage of NHS expenditure 
			 1997-98 1,108,182 3.20 
			 1998-99 1,230,425 3.36 
			 1999-2000 1,301,196 3.24 
			 2000-01 1,549,172 3.53 
			 2001-02 1,792,967 3.66 
			 2002-03 2,239,331 4.14 
			 2003-04 3,315,893 5.26 
			 2004-05 3,666,024 5.26 
			 2005-06 4,415,531 5.68 
			 2006-07 4,984,156 6.16 
			  Note:  2004-05 to 2006-07 exclude NHS Foundation Trusts.   Source:  Annual financial returns for primary care trusts, (strategic) health authorities and NHS trusts for 1997-98 to 2006-07. 
		
	
	The NHS commissions healthcare from a number of non-NHS bodies including private sector providers, local authorities, voluntary bodies, other statutory bodies and the independent sector.

Hospital Beds

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average number of patients occupying an acute bed with delayed discharge per 100,000 population was in  (a) the West Kent primary care trust area and  (b) England in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Patients of all ages occupying an acute hospital bed with delayed discharge per 100,000 population 
			   Number 
			 England 4.12 
			 West Kent PCT 4.23 
			  Source:  Department of Health form: local delivery plan Commissioner (quarter three 2007-08). Office for National statistics mid-year population estimates 2006.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average hospital waiting times were in  (a) Torbay Primary Care Trust area,  (b) Devon and  (c) England in each of the last 10 years; and what the average waiting time was in each such areas in each specialism in each of the last 10 years.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients had been waiting more than six months for an NHS operation in an English hospital on 31 January.

Ben Bradshaw: At the end of January there were 379 patients waiting over 26 weeks at English national health service trusts. Of these, 282 were patients registered with general practitioners in Wales.

Medical Records: Databases

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data security measures have been put in place for his Department's databases, including the NHS Care Records Service database; and how much these measures  (a) have cost and  (b) are expected to cost.

Ben Bradshaw: Data security measures and information assurance touch on almost every aspect of the overall business process of running a database or information technology (IT) project including areas such as risk management, auditing, monitoring, training, IT infrastructure, physical and personnel security, software and other aspects.
	Data security measures and information assurance are embedded within the everyday business process of operating a database or IT project and the associated costs are not separate from the overall ongoing running costs of any database or any other IT project or programme. To do so would incur disproportionate cost.

Mental Health Act 2007

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department plans to provide to  (a) mental health and  (b) primary care trusts on the implementation of the Mental Health Act 2007 before it comes into force; and when such guidance will be made available.

Ivan Lewis: The Department of Health has commissioned the Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP) to take forward the project to implement the Mental Health Act 2007. CSIP have established a comprehensive programme of training events and guidance for commissioners, providers, practitioners and users which will be finalised when the code of practice and secondary legislation is finalised.

NHS: Finance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding his Department allocated in  (a) Torbay constituency,  (b) Torbay Primary Care Trust area and  (c) England per head of population in each year since 2001.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department makes revenue allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs) and not to constituencies. PCT revenue allocations were first made in 2003-04, prior to this, funding was allocated to health authorities.
	The allocations per head of population for Torbay PCT and the England average allocation per head of population for the period 2003-04 to 2008-09 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   
			  Torbay PCT  Allocation per head  Allocation per head England 
			 2003-04 941 903 
			 2004-05 1,023 986 
			 2005-06 1,207 1,172 
			 2006-07 1,323 1,274 
			 2007-08 1,464 1,388 
			 2008-09 1,525 1,449

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the size of the enhanced services expenditure floor agreed with the British Medical Association's General Practitioner Committee was in  (a) 2005-06, ( b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2007-08; what expenditure on enhanced services was in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07; and what level of expenditure on enhanced services he expects in 2007-08.

Ben Bradshaw: In 2005-06 the total primary care trust (PCT) enhanced services floor was 676 million. For 2006-07 and 2007-08, it was agreed with the British Medical Association's General Practitioner Committee that enhanced service floors would remain frozen at 2005-06 levels.
	The overall level of investment by PCTs in 2005-06 was 655 million and in 2006-07 was 749 million (based on their final audited accounts). Latest forecasts for 2007-08 indicate an overall unaudited spend currently of 775 million. However, final accounts figures will not be available until summer 2008.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the NHS funding top-sliced by strategic health authorities from primary care trusts' recurrent allocations in 2006-07 has been returned to each primary care trust.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Top slice figures for 2006-07 paid back at end of 2006-07 
			  Strategic health authority  Organisation code  Organisation name  Top slice taken in 2006-07 (000)  Top slice paid back (000)  Proportion of top slice paid back (%) 
			 Q30 5D7 Newcastle Primary Care Trust (PCT) 0 0 0 
			 Q30 5D8 North Tyneside PCT 0 0 0 
			 Q30 5D9 Hartlepool PCT 859 0 0 
			 Q30 5E1 North Tees Teaching PCT 1,471 0 0 
			 Q30 5J9 Darlington PCT 939 0 0 
			 Q30 5KF Gateshead PCT 2,094 0 0 
			 Q30 5KG South Tyneside PCT 1,589 0 0 
			 Q30 5KL Sunderland Teaching PCT 2,893 0 0 
			 Q30 5KM Middlesbrough 1,709 0 0 
			 Q30 5ND County Durham PCT 5,060 0 0 
			 Q30 5QR Redcar and Cleveland PCT 888 0 0 
			 Q30 TAC Northumberland Care Trust 0 0 0 
			 Q38 5CQ Milton Keynes PCT 5,500 1,394 25 
			 Q38 5FE Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 6,235 1,607 26 
			 Q38 5L1 Southampton City PCT 7,380 1,856 25 
			 Q38 5QC Hampshire PCT 34,718 8,814 25 
			 Q38 5QD Buckinghamshire PCT 12,000 3,042 25 
			 Q38 5QE Oxfordshire PCT 15,863 3,993 25 
			 Q38 5QF Berkshire West PCT 11,000 2,788 25 
			 Q38 5QG Berkshire East Teaching PCT 9,890 2,499 25 
			 Q38 5QT Isle of Wight Healthcare PCT 4,639 1,205 26 
			 Q35 5GC Luton Teaching PCT 0 0 0 
			 Q35 5P1 South East Essex PCT 8,900 0 0 
			 Q35 5P2 Bedfordshire PCT 0 0 0 
			 Q35 5P3 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 0 0 0 
			 Q35 5P4 West Hertfordshire PCT 0 0 0 
			 Q35 5PN Peterborough PCT 2,200 0 0 
			 Q35 5PP Cambridgeshire PCT 1,600 0 0 
			 Q35 5PQ Norfolk PCT 7,200 0 0 
			 Q35 5PR Great Yarmouth and Waveney Teaching PCT 7,000 7,000 100 
			 Q35 5PT Suffolk PCT 0 0 0 
			 Q35 5PV West Essex PCT 2,500 0 0 
			 Q35 5PW North East Essex PCT 7,800 7,800 100 
			 Q35 5PX Mid Essex PCT 0 0 0 
			 Q35 5PY South West Essex Teaching PCT 18,400 0 0 
			 Q32 5AN North East Lincolnshire PCT 4,811 0 0 
			 Q32 5EF North Lincolnshire PCT 4,362 4,362 100 
			 Q32 5H8 Rotherham PCT 7,545 0 0 
			 Q32 5J6 Calderdale PCT 5,886 0 0 
			 Q32 5JE Barnsley PCT 7,306 2,000 27 
			 Q32 5N1 Leeds PCT 21,986 7,000 32 
			 Q32 5N2 Kirklees PCT 11,168 6,300 56 
			 Q32 5N3 Wakefield District PCT 10,076 0 0 
			 Q32 5N4 Sheffield PCT 16,647 4,500 27 
			 Q32 5N5 Doncaster PCT 9,174 0 0 
			 Q32 5NV North Yorkshire and York PCT 20,033 3,000 15 
			 Q32 5NW East Riding Of Yorkshire PCT 7,949 7,949 100 
			 Q32 5NX Hull Teaching PCT 8,536 0 0 
			 Q32 5NY Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT 15,029 0 0 
			 Q39 5A3 South Gloucestershire PCT 5,410 3,570 66 
			 Q39 5F1 Plymouth Teaching PCT 3,204 0 0 
			 Q39 5FL Bath and North East Somerset PCT 2,956 0 0 
			 Q39 5K3 Swindon PCT 3,212 0 0 
			 Q39 5M8 North Somerset PCT 4,211 1,611 38 
			 Q39 5QH Gloucestershire PCT 13,293 0 0 
			 Q39 5QJ Bristol Teaching PCT 8,177 0 0 
			 Q39 5QK Wiltshire PCT 13,100 0 0 
			 Q39 5QL Somerset PCT 2,050 0 0 
			 Q39 5QM Dorset PCT 1,570 0 0 
			 Q39 5QN Bournemouth and Poole Teaching PCT 1,380 0 0 
			 Q39 5QP Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 6,456 0 0 
			 Q39 5QQ Devon PCT 8,715 8,715 100 
			 Q39 TAL Torbay Care Trust 1,857 0 0 
			 Q31 5CC Blackburn with Darwen Teaching PCT 0 0 0 
			 Q31 5F5 Salford Teaching PCT 4,452 0 0 
			 Q31 5F7 Stockport PCT 0 0 0 
			 Q31 5HG Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 5,706 0 0 
			 Q31 5HP Blackpool PCT 0 0 0 
			 Q31 5HQ Bolton PCT 3,314 0 0 
			 Q31 5J2 Warrington PCT 0 0 0 
			 Q31 5J4 Knowsley PCT 0 0 0 
			 Q31 5J5 Oldham PCT 3,247 0 0 
			 Q31 5JX Bury PCT 2,480 0 0 
			 Q31 5LH Tameside and Glossop PCT 4,257 0 0 
			 Q31 5NE Cumbria PCT 0 0 0 
			 Q31 5NF North Lancashire PCT 838 0 0 
			 Q31 5NG Central Lancashire PCT 11,617 0 0 
			 Q31 5NH East Lancashire PCT 0 0 0 
			 Q31 5NJ Sefton PCT 0 0 0 
			 Q31 5NK Wirral PCT 0 0 0 
			 Q31 5NL Liverpool PCT 0 0 0 
			 Q31 5NM Halton and St. Helens PCT 0 0 0 
			 Q31 5NN West Cheshire PCT 0 0 0 
			 Q31 5NP Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 0 0 0 
			 Q31 5NQ Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 3,081 0 0 
			 Q31 5NR Trafford PCT 0 0 0 
			 Q31 5NT Manchester PCT 5,771 5,771 100 
			 Q33 5EM Nottingham City PCT 2,000 0 0 
			 Q33 5ET Bassetlaw PCT 654 654 100 
			 Q33 5N6 Derbyshire County PCT 2,522 2,522 100 
			 Q33 5N7 Derby City PCT 1,508 1,508 100 
			 Q33 5N8 Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT 3,570 0 0 
			 Q33 5N9 Lincolnshire Teaching PCT 0 0 0 
			 Q33 5PA Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 3,317 3,317 100 
			 Q33 5PC Leicester City Teaching PCT 1,935 1,935 100 
			 Q33 5PD Northamptonshire Teaching PCT 3,445 3,445 100 
			 Q36 5A4 Havering PCT 9,352 2,059 22 
			 Q36 5A5 Kingston PCT 5,924 -32 -1 
			 Q36 5A7 Bromley PCT 10,952 -10 0 
			 Q36 5A8 Greenwich Teaching PCT 11,235 2,339 21 
			 Q36 5A9 Barnet PCT 12,816 2,882 22 
			 Q36 5AT Hillingdon PCT 9,045 2,059 23 
			 Q36 5C1 Enfield PCT 10,294 2,365 23 
			 Q36 5C2 Barking and Dagenham PCT 13,045 22 0 
			 Q36 5C3 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 14,840 39 0 
			 Q36 5C4 Tower Hamlets PCT 12,268 1 0 
			 Q36 5C5 Newham PCT 13,876 2,781 20 
			 Q36 5C9 Haringey Teaching PCT 10,176 34 0 
			 Q36 5H1 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 8,838 -13 0 
			 Q36 5HX Ealing PCT 13,042 -27 0 
			 Q36 5HY Hounslow PCT 8,775 1,010 12 
			 Q36 5K5 Brent Teaching PCT 12,015 2,764 23 
			 Q36 5K6 Harrow PCT 7,489 1,693 23 
			 Q36 5K7 Camden PCT 11,438 34 0 
			 Q36 5K8 Islington PCT 9,932 1,012 10 
			 Q36 5K9 Croydon PCT 12,462 2,845 23 
			 Q36 5LA Kensington and Chelsea PCT 8,034 -50 -1 
			 Q36 5LC Westminster PCT 10,783 0 0 
			 Q36 5LD Lambeth PCT 13,755 36 0 
			 Q36 5LE Southwark PCT 11,819 2,727 23 
			 Q36 5LF Lewisham PCT 11,719 2,709 23 
			 Q36 5LG Wandsworth PCT 11,376 -35 0 
			 Q36 5M6 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 6,629 1,536 23 
			 Q36 5M7 Sutton and Merton PCT 13,553 3,126 23 
			 Q36 5NA Redbridge PCT 9,114 41 0 
			 Q36 5NC Waltham Forest PCT 9,398 2,122 23 
			 Q36 TAK Bexley PCT 7,552 1,703 23 
			 Q37 5L3 Medway Teaching PCT 9,272 4,273 46 
			 Q37 5LQ Brighton and Hove City Teaching PCT 10,491 4,913 47 
			 Q37 5P5 Surrey PCT 37,037 28,716 78 
			 Q37 5P6 West Sussex Teaching PCT 28,574 14,931 52 
			 Q37 5P7 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 12,639 6,996 55 
			 Q37 5P8 Hastings and Rother PCT 7,446 2,693 36 
			 Q37 5P9 West Kent PCT 22,431 14,472 65 
			 Q37 5QA Eastern and Coastal Kent Teaching PCT 27,624 12,364 45 
			 Q34 5PG Birmingham East and North PCT 14,407 8,427 58 
			 Q34 5MD Coventry Teaching PCT 8,091 3,500 43 
			 Q34 5PE Dudley PCT 11,696 3,426 29 
			 Q34 5MX Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 11,918 3,750 31 
			 Q34 5CN Herefordshire PCT 6,051 1,861 31 
			 Q34 5PH North Staffordshire PCT 9,461 5,581 59 
			 Q34 5PF Sandwell PCT 12,622 3,833 30 
			 Q34 5M2 Shropshire County PCT 8,409 2,880 34 
			 Q34 TAM Solihull Care Trust 6,094 2,064 34 
			 Q34 5M1 South Birmingham PCT 13,573 4,280 32 
			 Q34 5PK South Staffordshire PCT 17,612 10,617 60 
			 Q34 5PJ Stoke On Trent Teaching PCT 13,162 13,162 100 
			 Q34 5MK Telford and Wrekin PCT 5,337 1,700 32 
			 Q34 5M3 Walsall Teaching PCT 9,931 3,080 31 
			 Q34 5PM Warwickshire PCT 10,941 4,821 44 
			 Q34 5MV Wolverhampton City PCT 9,479 2,960 31 
			 Q34 5PL Worcestershire PCT 18,248 5,608 31 
			   Total 1,144,2321 318,836 28

NHS: Finance

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was allocated to each primary care trust (PCT) in England in the latest financial year for which figures are available; and what the population in each PCT area is.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 14 March 2008
	The following table shows the revenue allocations that were announced for primary care trusts (PCTs) in December 2007 for the next financial year 2008-09, and their population projections for that year.
	
		
			   2008-09 revenue allocation ( million)  Mid-2008 population( 1) 
			 Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT 753.0 501,080 
			 Brent Teaching PCT 464.9 281,821 
			 Brighton and Hove City PCT 402.8 257,913 
			 Bristol PCT 602.4 422,839 
			 Bromley PCT 425.7 302,946 
			 Buckinghamshire PCT 604.8 497,186 
			 Bury PCT 261.4 181,664 
			 Calderdale PCT 290.4 199,789 
			 Cambridgeshire PCT 723.3 588,116 
			 Camden PCT 420.6 242,151 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 602.3 449,459 
			 Central Lancashire PCT 640.7 444,470 
			 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 439.4 222,879 
			 Cornwall and Isles Of Scilly PCT 749.7 537,532 
			 County Durham PCT 827.0 502,596 
			 Coventry Teaching PCT 495.1 319,891 
			 Croydon PCT 483.7 334,850 
			 Cumbria PCT 726.8 505,733 
			 Darlington PCT 155.6 97,830 
			 Derby City PCT 380.8 270,657 
			 Derbyshire County PCT 973.3 697,633 
			 Devon PCT 1,009.2 740,489 
			 Doncaster PCT 463.1 295,479 
			 Dorset PCT 540.9 389,605 
			 Dudley PCT 429.3 301,599 
			 Ealing PCT 507.4 318,091 
			 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 704.2 552,279 
			 East Lancashire Teaching PCT 583.6 375,408 
			 East Riding Of Yorkshire PCT 401.0 314,127 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 483.5 333,093 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 1,068.7 734,293 
			 Enfield PCT 405.2 268,749 
			 Gateshead PCT 330.4 192,566 
			 Gloucestershire PCT 771.1 589,151 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT 337.2 225,909 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 392.7 235,868 
			 Halton and St Helens PCT 500.1 304,009 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 302.0 173,880 
			 Hampshire PCT 1,615.6 1,253,955 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT 395.7 234,447 
			 Harrow PCT 291.3 199,152 
			 Hartlepool PCT 152.1 92,009 
			 Hastings and Rother PCT 284.9 173,785 
			 Havering PCT 349.1 235,778 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 479.1 284,377 
			 Herefordshire PCT 238.8 178,672 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 333.6 208,163 
			 Hillingdon PCT 351.4 242,256 
			 Hounslow PCT 340.3 217,691 
			 Hull Teaching PCT 4.23.4 277,734 
			 Isle of Wight NHS PCT 216.2 141,898 
			 Islington PCT 383.8 185,725 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT L 313.9 207,584 
			 Kingston PCT 231.2 171,852 
			 Kirklees PCT 556.3 393,640 
			 Knowsley PCT 283.4 150,268 
			 Lambeth PCT 532.7 286,754 
			 Leeds PCT 1,088.8 754,092 
			 Leicester City PCT 448.2 301,437 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 770.4 647,221 
			 Lewisham PCT 453.1 251,825 
			 Lincolnshire Teaching PCT 973.0 722,640 
			 Liverpool PCT 847.2 441,958 
			 Luton PCT 261.2 182,287 
			 Manchester PCT 860.0 488,883 
			 Medway PCT 359.3 270,899 
			 Mid Essex PCT 427.9 360,510 
			 Middlesbrough PCT 240.8 140,773 
			 Milton Keynes PCT 293.1 234,198 
			 Newcastle PCT 440.2 255,174 
			 Newham PCT 478.8 261,963 
			 Norfolk PCT 983.4 737,991 
			 North East Essex PCT 446.0 321,357 
			 North East Lincolnshire PCT 241.6 165,087 
			 North Lancashire Teaching PCT 481.3 335,158 
			 North Lincolnshire PCT 220.4 161,061 
			 North Somerset PCT 265.2 202,221 
			 North Staffordshire PCT 293.2 204,995 
			 North Tees PCT 267.6 190,453 
			 North Tyneside PCT 314.7 204,188 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT 999.1 787,551 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching PCT 861.9 660,838 
			 Northumberland Care Trust 458.3 313,726 
			 Nottingham City PCT 454.5 301,078 
			 Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT 885.2 645,882 
			 Oldham PCT 350.8 222,942 
			 Oxfordshire PCT 767.2 628,341 
			 Peterborough PCT 238.4 153,645 
			 Plymouth Teaching PCT 367.5 252,705 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 267.8 203,908 
			 Redbridge PCT 334.8 240,481 
			 Redcar and Cleveland PCT 217.4 132,993 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 256.0 176,660 
			 Rotherham PCT 380.7 245,759 
			 Salford PCT 395.1 220,423 
			 Sandwell PCT 487.2 301,473 
			 Sefton PCT 447.6 273,050 
			 Sheffield PCT 826.6 525,337 
			 Shropshire County PCT 383.2 291,355 
			 Solihull Care Trust 273.5 206,734 
			 Somerset PCT 698.0 524,329 
			 South Birmingham PCT 538.7 348,866 
			 South East Essex PCT 465.9 330,648 
			 South Gloucestershire PCT 290.2 246,405 
			 South Staffordshire PCT 755.3 588,584 
			 South Tyneside PCT 257.1 149,167 
			 South West Essex PCT 554.3 398,291 
			 Southampton City PCT 340.9 243,936 
			 Southwark PCT 457.4 250,485 
			 Stockport PCT 400.1 282,200 
			 Stoke On Trent PCT 414.2 255,983 
			 Suffolk PCT 766.4 601,520 
			 Sunderland Teaching PCT 473.5 271,538 
			 Surrey PCT 1,408.2 1,070,315 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT 524.4 376,023 
			 Swindon PCT 257.3 189,870 
			 Tameside and Glossop PCT 355.7 226,289 
			 Telford and Wrekin PCT 220.8 165,691 
			 Torbay Care Trust 218.7 143,399 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT 417.1 219,183 
			 Trafford PCT 315.9 210,651 
			 Wakefield District PCT 515.9 337,176 
			 Walsall Teaching PCT 394.5 248,798 
			 Waltham Forest PCT 366.3 224,963 
			 Wandsworth PCT 443.0 280,537 
			 Warrington PCT 273.2 192,474 
			 Warwickshire PCT 687.8 520,554 
			 West Essex PCT 359.0 260,710 
			 West Hertfordshire PCT 716.8 541,514 
			 West Kent PCT 854.6 659,008 
			 West Sussex PCT 1,090.5 778,862 
			 Western Cheshire PCT 350.3 240,143 
			 Westminster PCT 418.6 257,199 
			 Wiltshire PCT 569.1 456,584 
			 Wirral PCT 528.0 314,206 
			 Wolverhampton City PCT 380.4 236,841 
			 Worcestershire PCT 716.4 546,435 
			
			 England 74,197.5 51,220,531 
			 (1) General practitioner practice lists constrained to 2004 based Office for National Statistics subnational population projections for 2008.

NHS: Finance

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what budget allocations were made to each primary care trust in England in respect of each main category condition and disease for the last three years for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 14 March 2008
	Allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs) are undertaken on the basis of a weighted capitation formula to enable them to commission similar levels of health services for populations in similar need. Separate allocations are not made for each disease category.
	Annual data estimating actual primary care trust level expenditure by disease are collected in the form of programme budgeting returns. Tables showing PCT expenditure by programme budgeting category for the 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 financial years have been placed in the Library.

NHS: Geographical Information Systems

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what use the NHS is making of geographical information systems to improve health care treatment in the UK.

Ben Bradshaw: It is for individual national health service trusts to decide whether they wish to use geographical information systems to support the planning and delivery of health care services.

NHS: Surgery

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) operations and  (b) diagnostic tests were carried out by the NHS in each year since 1994-95; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The number of finished consultant episodes where a procedure (and intervention in 2006-07) was in a main or secondary field for years 1994-95 to 2006-07 and the total activity for the 15 key diagnostic tests for the calendar year 2007 is shown in table 1. Information on diagnostic tests in the format requested is not available. Information on the 15 key diagnostic tests for 2007 is shown in table 2.
	
		
			  Table 1: National health service hospitals, England and activity performed in the independent sector in England commissioned by English NHS 
			   Number of episodes 
			 1994-95 5,468,249 
			 1995-96 5,834,659 
			 1996-97 5,925,915 
			 1997-98 5,910,999 
			 1998-99 6,471,037 
			 1999-2000 6,533,311 
			 2000-01 6,510,808 
			 2001-02 6,436,388 
			 2002-03 6,614,131 
			 2003-04 6,773,546 
			 2004-05 6,848,793 
			 2005-06 7,216,643 
			 2006-07 7,889,682 
			  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, the Information Centre for health and social care. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Total activity for each of the 15 key diagnostic tests in 2007 
			  Diagnostic test  Total activity 
			 Magnetic Resonance Imaging 1,289,708 
			 Computer Tomography 2,408,295 
			 Non-obstetric Ultrasound 4,039,423 
			 Barium Enema 161,153 
			 DEXA Scan 234,218 
			 Audiology 1,113,947 
			 Cardiology, echocardiography 799,055 
			 Cardiology, electrophysiology 13,385 
			 Neurophysiology 167,727 
			 Respiratory physiology 65,899 
			 Urodynamics, pressures and flows 85,835 
			 Colonoscopy 258,880 
			 Flexi sigmoidososcopy 176,167 
			 Cystoscopy 288,209 
			 Gasttroscopy 460,342 
			 Total 15 tests 11,562,243

North Lancashire Primary Care Trust: Finance

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much funding was available to North Lancashire Primary Care Trust to improve GP services in 2007-08;
	(2)  what improvements are being considered by North Lancashire Primary Care Trust to GP services in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 14 March 2008
	The requested information is not held centrally. The information for improvements to general practitioner (GP) services is not available at constituency level, and primary care trust (PCT) revenue allocations are not ring-fenced.
	However, North Lancashire PCT will be receiving additional investment in 2008-09 from the 250 million access fund, announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 10 October 2007, to procure two new GP practices and one GP-led health centre.
	The North West Strategic Health Authority (SHA) reports that the health centre will provide a greater range of services in primary care, improve access to primary care (12 hours per day seven days per week) and target services to be most accessible to those most in need. The additional GP practices will also offer additional hours and full GP services, and could also offer additional services.
	The North West SHA is managing an assurance process that oversees the procurement and delivery process for the equitable access plans for North Lancashire PCT.

Out-Patients: Waiting Lists

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients had been waiting over 13 weeks for a first consultant-led outpatient appointment on 31 January.

Ben Bradshaw: At the end of January 2008, there were 135 patients waiting 13 weeks or over for a first consultant-led out-patient appointment following general practitioner referral.
	Figures on inpatient and outpatient waiting times are routinely published on a monthly basis, a full breakdown is available on the Department's website. Figures for 31 January 2008 were published on 29 February, and are available at:
	www.performance.doh.gov.uk/waitingtimes/2007/month/index.html

Palliative Care: Castle Point

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data are used by commissioners to determine the need for specialist palliative and neurological care in Castle Point.

Ivan Lewis: It is for individual primary care trusts (PCTs), including South East Essex PCT, within the national health service to commission services for their resident population, including end of life care and neurological care, based on an assessment of local needs and priorities. Strategic health authorities are responsible for monitoring PCTs to ensure they are effective and efficient.
	The NHS operating framework for 2007-08 asked PCTs, working with local authorities, to undertake a baseline review of their end of life care services. These will allow local commissioners to assess current services, identify gaps and obtain a much clearer view of local need, which will inform local commissioning.
	Regarding neurological care, the information strategy published alongside the National Service Framework for Long-term (Neurological) Conditions outlines commissioners' information requirements and a series of local and national actions designed to meet those needs. A copy of the Framework is available in the Library.

Palliative Care: Castle Point

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent progress has been made on implementing the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's guidance on supportive and palliative care in NHS services in Castle Point.

Ivan Lewis: It is for individual primary care trusts (PCTs), including South East Essex PCT, within the national health service to commission services for their resident population, including end of life care, based on assessments of local needs and priorities. The NHS has been required to set out action plans to achieve compliance with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommendations on supportive and palliative care. Implementation is being monitored by strategic health authorities (SHAs).
	Information on the rate of progress locally can be obtained through the East of England SHA.

Patients

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were receiving inpatient treatment on 31 January  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006,  (c) 2007 and  (d) 2008.

Ben Bradshaw: The figures are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  In -p atient waiting listsJanuary 2005 to January 2008, England 
			 As at 31 January each year  Provider based  Commissioner based 
			 2005 861,971 849,390 
			 2006 791,898 780,987 
			 2007 773,812 754,992 
			 2008 586,971 575,684 
		
	
	Figures on in-patient and out-patient waiting times are routinely published on a monthly basis, a full breakdown is available on the Department's website. Figures for 31 January 2008 were published on 29 February, and are available at:
	www.performance.doh.gov.uk/waitingtimes/2007/month/index.html

Pharmacy: Opening Hours

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to suspend section 13 of the 2005 regulations governing the criteria for granting applications for pharmacies opening for 100 hours a week until after the publication of the results of the review of pharmacy services.

Dawn Primarolo: We have no plans to do so. We will set out our intentions for the future provision of pharmacy services in the forthcoming Pharmacy White Paper.

Surgery

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects of separating emergency surgery from elective surgery; and what the evidential basis is for this assessment.

Ben Bradshaw: It is generally recognised that there are benefits from separating emergency surgery from elective surgery which can include fewer cancellations, more efficient use of theatres and the ability to plan operations. In addition, since pressure in acute hospital beds and wards is relieved, they can also help to speed up treatment for patients admitted to emergency care.

Torbay Hospital: Waiting Lists

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for  (a) in-patient,  (b) day cases and  (c) out-patient appointments in Torbay hospital in each year since 1992.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is not held in the format requested. Information is held for national health service hospital trusts. Therefore, information has been provided in the following table for south Devon healthcare NHS foundation trust which includes Torbay district general hospital.
	
		
			  Average (median) waiting times at south Devon healthcare NHS foundation trust 
			   Ordinary admission  Day case admission  Out-patients 
			 1991-92 17.5 10.8  
			 1992-93 17.1 10.1  
			 1993-94 14.3 10.3 7.4 
			 1994-95 11.3 10.4 8.4 
			 1995-96 11.0 9.6 7.5 
			 1996-97 11.7 9.8 7.7 
			 1997-98 12.2 10.0 8.3 
			 1998-99 13.0 9.1 9.7 
			 1999-2000 15.0 8.9 9.2 
			 2000-01 17.1 9.3 8.8 
			 2001-02 16.3 11.5 7.0 
			 2002-03 15.4 10.3 7.6 
			 2003-04 13.0 9.5 6.6 
			 2004-05 10.3 8.3 6.2 
			 2005-06 9.9 7.9 5.6 
			 2006-07 6.6 6.1 4.8 
			 2007-08 6.2 4.1 4.5 
			  Note:  No out-patient data was collected prior to 1993-94  Source:  Department of Health Forms KH07 and QM08

West Hertfordshire NHS Acute Trust: Consultants

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished consultant episodes there were at West Herts NHS Acute Trust  (a) in each specialty and  (b) in total in each year since 1996-97.

Ben Bradshaw: Until 2000, the current West Hertfordshire NHS Acute Trust was divided into two trusts: St. Albans and Hemel Hempstead NHS Trust and Mount Vernon and Watford NHS Trust. The number of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) in each speciality and in total at the two trusts from 1996-2000 and in West Hertfordshire NHS Acute Trust in 2000-07 are set out in the following tables. The latest year for which information is available is 2007.
	
		
			  Number of FCEs in each speciality and in total at St. Albans and Hemel Hempstead NHS Trust and Mount Vernon and Watford NHS Trust 1996-2000 
			   1996-97  1997-98 
			  Specialty  St. Albans and Hemel Hempstead NHS Trust  Mount Vernon and Watford NHS Trust  Total  St. Albans and Hemel Hempstead NHS Trust  Mount Vernon and Watford NHS Trust  Total 
			 Not known 7 184 191  344 344 
			 General Surgery 4,557 5,829 10,386 4,215 5,167 9,382 
			 Urology 1,460 2,965 4,425 1,506 2,810 4,316 
			 Trauma and Orthopaedics 3,077 4,136 7,213 2,968 3,219 6,187 
			 Ear, Nose and Throat 1,136  1,136 1,171  1,171 
			 Ophthalmology 118 1,240 1,358 116 760 876 
			 Oral Surgery 149 3,160 3,309 53 2,904 2,957 
			 Orthodontics   
			 Plastic Surgery 237 5,764 6,001 208 6,649 6,857 
			 Accident and Emergency 268  268 376  376 
			 Anaesthetics 173 300 473 102 343 445 
			 General Medicine 727 9,729 10,456 31 9,922 9,953 
			 Gastroenterology 2,777 929 3,706 3,743 1,144 4,887 
			 Endocrinology 833  833 1,157  1,157 
			 Haematology (Clinical)  691 691  1,044 1,044 
			 Palliative Medicine  387 387  449 449 
			 Cardiology 1,153  1,153 1,406  1,406 
			 Dermatology 856 73 929 882 76 958 
			 Thoracic Medicine 1,138  1,138 1,222 * 1,222 
			 Nephrology*   
			 Medical Oncology   
			 Neurology 8 10 18 * *  
			 Rheumatology 50 357 407 28 404 432 
			 Paediatrics 5,726 6,367 12,093 5,537 7,272 12,809 
			 Geriatric Medicine 3,637 2,152 5,789 4,268 2,351 6,619 
			 Obstetrics for patients using a hospital bed 5,192 3,822 9,014 5,352 4,384 9,736 
			 Gynaecology 2,943 2,992 5,935 2,374 2,669 5,043 
			 Radiotherapy 362 3,903 4,265 882 4,761 5,643 
			 Haematology 1,077  1,077 1,159  1,159 
			 Total 37,661 54,990 92,651 38,756 56,678 95,434 
		
	
	
		
			   1998-99  1999-2000 
			  Specialty  St. Albans and Hemel Hempstead NHS Trust  Mount Vernon and Watford NHS Trust  Total  St. Albans  and Hemel Hempstea d  NHS Trust  Mount Vernon and Watford NHS Trust  Total 
			 Not known  268 268 * 296 296 
			 General Surgery 3,674 5,172 8,846 4,341 4,607 8,948 
			 Urology 1,516 2,526 4,042 2,119 2,073 4,192 
			 Trauma and Orthopaedics 2,886 3,268 6,154 3,360 3,133 6,493 
			 Ear, Nose and Throat 1,082  1,082 1,249  1,249 
			 Ophthalmology 16 861 877 * 1,176 1,176 
			 Oral Surgery 32 2,715 2,747 38 2,387 2,425 
			 Orthodontics *  0
			 Plastic Surgery 151 5,595 5,746 143 5,985 6,128 
			 Accident and Emergency 341  341 318  318 
			 Anaesthetics 116 368 484 122 209 331 
			 General Medicine * 10,612 10,612  9,703 9,703 
			 Gastroenterology 3,721 918 4,639 4,050 146 4,196 
			 Endocrinology 1,349  1,349 1,466  1,466 
			 Haematology (Clinical)  690 690  456 456 
			 Palliative Medicine  353 353  395 395 
			 Cardiology 1,416  1,416 1,473  1,473 
			 Dermatology 713 33 746 846 42 888 
			 Thoracic Medicine 1,067 9 1,076 1,403  1,403 
			 Nephrology   0 *   
			 Medical Oncology   0  43 43 
			 Neurology 23 22 45 34 10 44 
			 Rheumatology 33 170 203 45  45 
			 Paediatrics 4,976 6,668 11,644 5,106 3,217 8,323 
			 Geriatric Medicine 4,461 1,910 6,371 4,409 1,749 6,158 
			 Obstetrics for patients using a hospital bed 5,156 3,566 8,722 5,503 3,640 9,143 
			 Gynaecology 1,946 2,460 4,406 2,260 2,752 5,012 
			 Radiotherapy 956 5,021 5,977 985 4,475 5,460 
			 Haematology 770  770 1,223  1,223 
			 Total 36,401 53,205 89,606 40,496 46,494 86,990 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of FCEs in each speciality and in total at West Hertfordshire NHS Acute Trust 2000-07 
			   2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Not known 1,243 97 16  *  * 
			 General Surgery 9,023 8,838 9,195 9,668 9,900 9,697 9,829 
			 Urology 4,180 4,264 4,481 4,658 4,532 4,502 4,109 
			 Trauma and Orthopaedics 6,765 7,432 7,445 7,260 7,246 7,390 7,156 
			 Ear, Nose and Throat 1,229 1,246 918 1,064 1,090 1,236 1,264 
			 Ophthalmology 1,692 1,274 1,173_ 1,977 1,841 2,074 2,037 
			 Oral Surgery 962 521 627 800 706 613 602 
			 Restorative Dentistry   * 
			 Orthodontics *   
			 Plastic Surgery(1) 6,624 6,679 7,178 7,912 7,712 8,018 3,899 
			 Cardiothoracic Surgery 38   
			 Accident and Emergency 237 299 394 541 3,334 4,800 4,674 
			 Anaesthetics 467 464 448 554 442 506 511 
			 Pain Management*
			 General Medicine 8,547 9,916 9,469 8,633 8,914 9,313 9,207 
			 Gastroenterology 5,052 5,498 5,205 5,631 5,767 5,872 6,946 
			 Endocrinology 1,007 676 389 282 200 129 95 
			 Clinical Haematology 892 2,071 2,761 2,884 2,583 1,928 2,228 
			 Rehabilitation 134  * 
			 Palliative Medicine 343 400 355 351 331   
			 Cardiology 1,706 1,490 1,416 2,073 3,308 3,691 3,889 
			 Dermatology 911 850 675 564 551 252 27 
			 Thoracic Medicine 1,461 1,324 1,305 1,362 1,225 1,714 1,727 
			 Genito-urinary Medicine *   
			 Nephrology *  * 16 46 20 * 
			 Medical Oncology 538 491 505 707 748 292 69 
			 Neurology 35 23 20 15 17 17 31 
			 Rheumatology 89 183 172 393 502 816 852 
			 Paediatrics(2) 2,405  4,973 5,293 4,998 5,430 7,112 
			 Geriatric Medicine 4,995 4,751 5,930 6,819 7,501 7,313 6,197 
			 Obstetrics 6,325 8,057 7,648 8,385 8,794 8,619 8,613 
			 Gynaecology 5,495 5,085 4,699 4,616 4,487 4,379 4,547 
			 Midwife Episode   148 
			 Learning Disability   * * *   
			 Psychotherapy*
			 Clinical Oncology 5,202 5,138 4,606 4,688 4,768 820 530 
			 Haematology 1,149 181  
			 Immunopathology 15 73 107 96 112 138 127 
			 Total 78,765 77,321 82,118 87,245 91,662 89,579 86,439 
			  No data retrieved under the main speciality and/or data year. *  To protect patient confidentiality, figures between one and five have been suppressed and replaced with an asterisk. (1) In October 2006, the management of the speciality 'Plastic Surgery' transferred from the West Hertfordshire NHS Acute Trust to the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust. This is a likely explanation for the drop in count of FCEs in 2006-07 compared to the data received in previous years. (2) For 2001-02 no data were received from the trust for the speciality 'Paediatrics'. This has been investigated with the trust but no conclusive cause has been found.  Notes: 1. Data Quality HES are compiled from data sent by over 300 national health service trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. 2. Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. During the years that these records have been collected the NHS there have been ongoing improvements in quality and coverage. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example a number of procedures may now be undertaken in out-patient settings and may no longer be accounted in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time. 3. FCE A FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. The figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year. 4. Specialty Care is needed when analysing HES data by specialty, or by groups of specialties (such as acute). Trusts have different ways of managing specialties and attributing codes so it is better to analyse by specific diagnoses, operations or other recorded information. Trusts may change the way they manage speciality codes through time. The number of specialities can change over time depending on the patients being treated and the consultants employed by a trust in a particular year. 5. Ungrossed data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (ies the data are ungrossed).  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care.

Wind Power

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health to which wind farm proposals his Department lodged objection in each of the last three years; and for what reasons in each case.

Ben Bradshaw: No such objections have been lodged.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Government Bills: Public Participation

Graham Allen: To ask the Leader of the House which Government Bills introduced to the House in Session 2007-08 have undergone pre-legislative scrutiny in which the public was able to participate electronically.

Helen Goodman: Four Bills introduced so far in the current session were previously published in draft for pre-legislative scrutiny: the Climate Change Bill, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, the Local Transport Bill and the Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Bill.
	Parliamentary pre-legislative scrutiny was carried out by select committees in respect of three draft bills. The Climate Change Bill and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill (then called the Human Tissue and Embryos Bill) were both considered by Joint Committees of both Houses, while the Local Transport Bill was considered by the Transport Select Committee. The Climate Change Bill was also examined by the Efra and Environmental Audit select committees. All these committees provided facilities for outside bodies and individuals to submit evidence electronically. In addition, on-line forums on aspects of the proposed Bills were conducted by the Joint Committees on the Climate Change Bill and the Human Tissue and Embryos Bill. It is the responsibility of individual committees as to how they involve and take evidence from the public.
	In all cases the public consultation by departments on the draft bills included opportunity for the public and interested bodies to submit views electronically. In respect of the Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Bill, an online discussion space was also provided on the Cabinet Office website.

TRANSPORT

Birmingham New Street Station

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many members of departmental staff worked on the redevelopment of Birmingham New Street in each year since 2000.

Tom Harris: The numbers of departmental staff who have been involved in the appraisal of proposals for Birmingham New Street as part of their wider job duties include the following: 14 in 2005-06; 24 in 2006-07; and 28 in 2007-08.
	Prior to 2005, this was a matter for the Strategic Rail Authority.

Birminghman New Street Station: Consultants

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department has spent on  (a) legal advice,  (b) banking and financial consultants and  (c) other consultants related to the redevelopment of Birmingham New Street in each year since 2000.

Tom Harris: The Department for Transport spent the following sums on external advisers: 225,000 in 2005-06; 47,000 in 2006-07; and 5,000 in 2007-08. Prior to 2005, this was a matter for the Strategic Rail Authority.

Bus Services: Concessions

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 6 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2753W, on concessions: mentally ill, if she will make it her policy to hold a consultation on broadening the scope of the eligibility criteria for statutory concessionary bus fares.

Rosie Winterton: The Transport Act 2000 (or for those resident in London, the Greater London Authority Act 1999) make provision for concessionary travel to a wide range of disabled people. Categories of disability were drawn up following representation from local government and support from the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee. The people eligible are as follows:
	 Any person who:
	is blind or partially sighted;
	is profoundly or severely deaf;
	is without speech;
	has a disability, or has suffered an injury, which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his/her ability to walk;
	does not have arms or has long-term loss of the use of both arms;
	has a learning disability, that is, a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind which includes significant impairment of intelligence and social functioning;
	would, if he/she applied for a grant of a licence to drive a motor vehicle under part III of the Road Traffic Act 1988, have his/her application refused pursuant to section 92 of the Act (physical fitness) otherwise than on the ground of persistent misuse of drugs or alcohol.
	The Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007 does not change the criteria for those eligible for a concessionary pass. The Act retains the discretion of travel concession authorities to offer their residents more than the statutory minimum concession. Any such enhancements are subject to their assessment of local needs and their overall financial priorities.
	The Secretary of State issued guidance to local authorities which sets out the statutory minimum requirement which they must observe to satisfy the law, and to which they must have regard in reaching a decision on eligibility.
	We have no plans at present to consult on changes to the eligibility criteria for statutory concessionary bus travel to include other groups of people, such as those with mental health illnesses. Our current focus is on the successful implementation of the new all-England off-peak bus travel concession from April this year.
	Local authorities retain the ability to offer discretionary concessions over and above the statutory minimum at their own expense. This can include offering concessionary travel to groups of people other than those currently defined in legislation.
	Initial analysis suggests that the estimated annual cost of extending the statutory concession to people with a mental impairment would be at least 49 million.

Bus Services: Pensioners

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been allocated to subsidise national bus travel for pensioners in each of the next three years.

Rosie Winterton: In England the Government are providing the following through a special grant just to cover the additional cost of the statutory minimum England-wide bus concession from 1 April:
	
		
			million 
			 2008-09 212 
			 2009-10 217 
			 2010-11 223 
		
	
	Funding for the existing statutory concession is provided through revenue support grant. As such it is not possible to precisely determine the total figure for this element for each of the next three years.
	In addition, the Government paid a grant of over 31 million in total to travel concession authorities (TCAs) in England outside London in this financial year (2007-08) to cover the cost of issuing concessionary travel passes. The passes grant to each TCA is based on an allowance of 4 for each pass currently in circulation, uplifted by 20 per cent. to recognise that the new concession is likely to be more attractive than the existing one.

Concessions: Schools

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will consider making it her policy to increase the age limit of half-fare school bus passes from aged 15 to aged 18 years if the participation age in education and training is raised to 18 years.

Rosie Winterton: The Department has no current plans to increase the age limit of half-fare school bus passes from aged 15 to aged 18.

Cycling

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of cycle lanes and tracks there are in England.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected centrally.

Cycling

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how miles of cycle lanes and tracks are linked to the National Cycle Network.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected centrally.

Cycling

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what guidance her Department has given to local authorities and Sustrans on the classification of a road as a traffic-free route on the National Cycle Network;
	(2)  what guidance her Department has given to local authorities and Sustrans on the classification of on-road routes on the National Cycle Network.

Rosie Winterton: The Department has not provided any guidance to either local authorities or Sustrans on the classification of roads for the National Cycle Network. This is a matter for local highway authorities.
	The National Cycle Network was developed by Sustrans with the help of a 43.5 million Millennium Commission Lottery Grant. Sustrans worked with a number of partners, in particular local authorities to develop the network which linked pre-existing routes to new routes to create a UK-wide network.

Cycling

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she intends to publish the results of her Department's consultation on cycling infrastructure design.

Rosie Winterton: The Department received 91 responses to the Cycling Infrastructure Design (CID) consultation, which ended on 5 November 2007. All the responses are currently being analysed and we will be revising the guidance in the light of the comments received. The Department intends to publish a report on the consultation in the next few months together with the final CID guidance.

Cycling: Children

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many children have taken part in Cycling England's Bikeability training scheme since 2006.

Rosie Winterton: Since 2005-06 the Department has provided funding to enable around 46,000 children to be trained to the Bikeability standard. Estimates are that local authorities fund some form of cycle training for 200,000 children but we do not hold information centrally on the number of children who have trained to Bikeability standard rather than other local authority run schemes.
	In January the Secretary of State for Transport announced a six fold increase in the cycling budget to 140 million for Cycling England to invest in initiatives to encourage cycling, including enabling an extra 500,000 children to have Bikeability training by 2012.

Cycling England: Consultants

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much Cycling England spent on commissioning economic research into the benefits of cycling from SQW consultants.

Rosie Winterton: Cycling England spent 68,915 on commissioning the economic research 'Valuing the Benefits of Cycling' from consultants SQW.

Departmental Data Protection

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 20 February 2008,  Official Report, column 733W, on departmental data protection, what cost audits were conducted by third party partners in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: It is assumed that this question refers to the cost of audits of departmental data protection conducted by third party partners in each of the last 10 years. Records of audits performed by the Department's internal audit functions, including those involving third party partners and their associated costs, are not maintained centrally but are kept locally by each of those functions. Furthermore, because of the decentralised nature of management responsibility within the Department and its agencies, specific record-keeping arrangements for other similar audits commissioned by line management vary between the Department and individual agencies and are not maintained centrally. Consequently, the information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Data Protection

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department has a single official with overall responsibility for data security.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Within the Department for Transport, including its seven executive agencies and shared service centre, the overall responsibility for data security rests with the Permanent Secretary, supported by the Department's senior information risk owner, who is also a board member, and the departmental security officer.
	The roles and responsibilities relating to data security matters across all Departments will be subject to the recommendations from the current Cabinet Office review of data handling procedures in Government.

Departmental Databases

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether  (a) companies based in the United States and  (b) UK subsidiaries of US companies have been contracted by her Department and its agencies to provide services involving the use, storage, processing or analysis of databases of personal information held by the Government on UK citizens in the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) The Department for Transport including its agencies has contracted with US registered service providers to manage (aspects of) storage, processing or analysis of personal information.
	 (b) The Department, including its agencies has contracted with UK subsidiaries of US registered service providers to manage (aspects of) storage, processing or analysis of personal information.
	The Data Protection Act 1998 includes provisions to ensure that personal data benefits from adequate protection when it is transferred outside the European Economic Area(1) by UK data controllers. Contracts are based on UK contract law with the applicable statutory safeguards.
	(1) The 27 EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

Great Western Trains: Passengers

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many people have used First Great Western services in each year since their franchise began on 1 April 2006;
	(2)  how many people, on average, use First Great Western services each weekday.

Tom Harris: This information is not held by the Department for Transport. Rail industry statistics are managed by the Office of Rail Regulation and the hon. Member should consult its website:
	http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1528

Heathrow Airport: Finance

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of the likely benefits identified in the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport consultation document relate to expected profits for  (a) BA,  (b) other airlines and  (c) BAA.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 14 March 2008
	The breakdown of the monetised benefits from each option in the 'Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport' consultation document' is given in table 4.3 (p79) of 'UK Air Passenger and Demand Forecasts report (November 2007)', available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/aviation/environmentalissues/ukairdemandandco2forecasts/
	The following table reproduces the figures for the three consultation document options. The 'producers' row of this table reports the change in airport operator's profits that could result from additional capacity at Heathrow.
	
		
			  'Adding Capacity at Heathrow' consultation: breakdown of transport user benefits by option, NPV, 2006 prices( 1) 
			   billion 
			  Option  One  Two  Three 
			 Generated users 9 9 9 
			 Existing users (2) (2) (2) 
			 Freight users (2) (2) (2) 
			 Producers 5 5 5 
			 Government 3 3 3 
			 Carbon -5 -5 -5 
			 Noise (2) (2) (2) 
			 Delay reductions:
			 Users (3) 1 2 
			 Carbon (3) (2) (2) 
			 
			 Total 12 13 14 
			 (1 )Figures are rounded to zero decimal places (2) Means a non-zero impact is estimated, but the result rounds to nought at zero decimal places (3 )Means no impact has been estimated 
		
	
	The current approach to estimating 'producer benefits' does not take into account benefits to airlines of additional capacity over and above the welfare benefits to their passengers. However, the 'Delay reductions' row includes benefits of reduced delay costs to airlines due to additional capacity.

Hope Valley Railway Line: Freight

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the capacity of the Hope Valley railway line to carry freight  (a) now and  (b) in the future.

Tom Harris: Network Rail has assessed the capacity of the Hope Valley railway line in its Freight Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS), published in 2007. The strategy set out a detailed analysis of freight issues, requirements and proposals for accommodating growth. The Freight RUS identified, over the next 10 years, a possible need for extra capacity on the Hope Valley route between Sheffield and Manchester arising from a forecast growth in aggregate and construction materials originating in this area.
	Network Rail's Yorkshire and Humber RUS, which is being worked on at present, is also considering capacity needs on this and the two other rail routes across the Pennines.

Intercity Express: Consultants

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 6 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2758W, on intercity express: consultants, how much of the 7.9 million spent by her Department on the project was incurred directly as a result of the Department taking the lead in developing the specification.

Tom Harris: holding answer 14 March 2008
	The majority of these costs arise directly as a result of the Department leading the specification and procurement of the Intercity Express Programme (IEP) since 2005, and in working closely with industry to make sure that the Intercity Express Programme offers best value for money and benefits to passengers and taxpayers when compared to other options.

M25

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department will be required to pay the bid costs for consortia which have bid for the 5 billion M25 contract if her Department decides not to continue with the M25 widening projects.

Tom Harris: There is no contractual obligation to pay the bid costs for consortia that have bid for the M25 contract.

M25

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she plans to make an announcement on remedial capital works in respect of junction 30 of the M25 motorway; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The Highways Agency is liaising with the promoter of the London Gateway Port and Business Park Development (Shell haven) on proposed measures at M25 Junction 30 to mitigate traffic generated by the development proposal. The timing of delivery of these measures is linked to a trigger of development either from the proposed port and/or business park.
	Additionally the Highways Agency is currently working with stakeholders and other partners in the Thames Gateway South Essex region to investigate solutions for possible improvements to relieving congestion affecting strategic traffic movements at junctions 30/31 and along the A13 trunk road. By autumn 2008 we aim to have identified options that we will take forward in preparation for further consultation in 2009.
	Any preferred solution identified will complement those which are being proposed by the promoter of the London Gateway Port and Business Park Development and will also need to complement other transport measures such as enhanced public transport to help alleviate congestion at the junctions.

M54: M6 Toll

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make a statement on the timetable for the construction of the direct link from the M54 to the M6 Toll.

Tom Harris: The timetable for the delivery of this improvement and possible scheme options are currently under review. We will make an announcement on the way forward in due course.

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2008,  Official Report, column 199W, on motor vehicles: excise duties, if she will provide the relevant data for each local authority in England.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested can be obtained only at disproportionate costs.

Operation Stack

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in implementing a quick change moveable barrier solution for phase 1 of Operation Stack on the M20; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The concrete barrier and barrier transfer machine are currently being procured, and will be available by the end of March 2008. The design for the civil engineering work to enable the quick movable barrier to operate on the M20 is complete, and a contractor has been appointed for construction which will take about 11 weeks.
	As the start of the civil engineering work is dependent upon the completion of statutory environmental procedures, an accurate start date for the works cannot yet be confirmed. However, the estimated completion date is summer this year.

Public Transport: Antisocial Behaviour

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government have taken to reduce antisocial behaviour on public transport deferred from 13 March 2008.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 14 March 2008
	The Government, transport industry, local authorities and others are investing in and undertaking wide-ranging initiatives to tackle antisocial behaviour committed on public transport. These include staffing initiatives, staff training, awareness raising in schools, and CCTV surveillance. There is also a range of legal measures available to transport operators to deal with antisocial behaviour.

Railway Stations

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which railways stations have been upgraded in each region in each of the last 10 years; what the cost to the public purse was of such upgrades; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: These are operational matters for Network Rail, as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member should contact Network Rail's chief executive at the following address for a response to his questions.
	lain Coucher
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	40 Melton Street
	London NW1 2EE

Railway Stations: Access

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the number of train stations without adequate disabled access.

Tom Harris: The Department for Transport does not hold detailed information about facilities at the 2,500 individual stations in Great Britain.
	However, a study for the Strategic Rail Authority in 2005 identified that approximately 50 per cent. of stations do not provide step-free access, while 61 per cent. would benefit from new or improved customer information systems.

Railways

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for each  (a) line and  (b) station on the rail network which has reopened since 1980, what the (i) projected annual passenger numbers were prior to reopening and (ii) passenger numbers were (A) in the first year after reopening (B) five years after reopening and (C) 10 years after reopening.

Tom Harris: holding answer 14 March 2008
	This information is not held by the Department for Transport.

Railways: Crime

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many drink-related crimes were recorded as occurring on trains in the national rail system in each of the last 10 years, broken down by area;
	(2)  how many crimes were recorded which involved  (a) an assault and  (b) a threatened assault by a passenger on a staff member on trains in the national rail system in each of the last 10 years, broken down by British Transport Police area;
	(3)  how many British Transport Police officers have reported being physically assaulted in each of the last 10 years, broken down by British Transport Police area;
	(4)  what the average response time was for British Transport Police officers to attend railway stations from which a 999 call had been made in each of the last 10 years;
	(5)  how many times the possession of a firearm was recorded as a crime by the British Transport Police in each of the last 10 years, broken down by British Transport Police area;
	(6)  how many times the possession of a knife was recorded as a crime by the British Transport Police in each of the last 10 years, broken down by area;
	(7)  how many British Transport Police officers there were in each of the last 10 years, broken down by British Transport Police area.

Tom Harris: None of this information is held by the Department for Transport but by the British Transport Police who can be contacted at: British Transport Police, 25 Camden Road, London NW1 9LN, e-mail: parliament@btp.pnn.police.uk

Railways: Fares

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what figures she holds on average regulated train fares.

Tom Harris: The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) maintains a register of all fares and publishes this as part of National Rail Trends. This publication is available from the ORR website:
	http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1528

Railways: Fares

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what figures she holds on the average cost of commuter train fares into London for every year since 1997.

Tom Harris: The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) maintains a register of all fares and publishes this as part of National Rail Trends. It includes a category for Standard class regulated fares for London and South East operatorsthe nearest proxy for commuter fares to London. This publication is available from the ORR website:
	http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1528

Railways: Kent

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many daily train paths will be available to freight traffic on the high-speed line through Kent once high-speed domestic services have begun.

Tom Harris: There will be spare paths available on High Speed 1 when the high-speed domestic services commence next year. The precise number of paths available to freight and further passenger services will become clearer when the timetable for the high-speed domestic services is finalised. To run their services, open-access freight operators will have to apply to Network Rail (CTRL) Limited which is acting as the independent allocation and charging body for High Speed 1.

Railways: Passengers

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the passenger in excess of capacity figure was for each eligible recorded service in each year between 1997 and 2007, broken down by train operating company.

Tom Harris: The information requested is currently published annually in aggregated form by the Office for Rail Regulation (ORR) within its National Rail Trends Yearbook and is available on the ORR website at:
	www.rail-reg.gov.uk.
	The latest published data relates to passenger counts carried out by train operators in autumn 2006.

Road Traffic Control

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what work has been conducted by the Chief Scientific Adviser's office or in partnership with the Chief Scientific Adviser's office in the last 12 months on  (a) active traffic management technology,  (b) video-based traffic monitoring and number plate recognition technology,  (c) fibre optic vehicle sensing and  (d) traffic control centre management.

Rosie Winterton: Work on these topics has been taken forward through the relevant units in DFT(c) and the Highways Agency. The Chief Scientific Adviser's office has not undertaken specific work but, through the Chief Scientific Adviser, has taken part in discussions with DFT colleagues on several of the issues.

Roads: Construction

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will take steps to introduce signage to alert motorists to the presence of stone mastic asphalt on recently resurfaced roads; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Department for Transport has authorised a specific traffic sign to advise road users of reduced skid resistance and of a maximum advisory speed following a road resurfacing. The management of local roads is the responsibility of the local highway authority, who can seek authorisation from the Department to use this sign. The Highways Agency, which manages the English trunk road network, does not use stone mastic asphalt.

Roads: Taxation

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what road taxation revenue was in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Vehicle Excise Duty collected for each year since 1997 is as follows:
	
		
			   million 
			   Gross  Net 
			 1997-98 4,717 4,487 
			 1998-99 5,099 4,855 
			 1999-2000 5,054 4,738 
			 2000-01 5,250 4,658 
			 2001-02 4,884 4,158 
			 2002-03 4,612 4,385 
			 2003-04 4,916 4,689 
			 2004-05 4,972 4,737 
			 2005-06 5,190 4,953 
			 2006-07 5,220 4,984 
		
	
	Net figures are gross receipts less refunds.

Rolling Stock

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will provide in tabular form the allocation of the proposed new 1,300 train carriages by  (a) franchise,  (b) date and  (c) type of vehicle.

Tom Harris: The Department for Transport is in discussions with the franchise operators with respect to their requirements. I refer the hon. Member to the Rolling Stock Plan on the Department for Transport web site, which set out indicative number of vehicles required by English TOCs.
	(www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/rollingstock).

Sea France: Industrial Disputes

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the cost to UK business and UK transport interests of transport disruption during the current Sea France strike and the consequent implementation of Operation Stack.

Tom Harris: We do not have the necessary information at this stage to enable us to make an accurate estimate of these costs.

Speed Limits: Cameras

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effect of speed cameras on the incidence of traffic accidents in England and Wales in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The following independent evaluations, undertaken for the Department, confirm that there have been substantial reductions in speeding and casualties at camera sites. These are available in the Library of the House, and on the Department's website:
	A cost recovery system for speed and red-light camerasTwo year pilot evaluation (11 February 2003)
	The national safety camera programmeThree year evaluation report (15 June 2004).
	The national safety camera programmeFour year evaluation report (15 December 2005).
	The most recent four-year evaluation recorded a 42 per cent. reduction in death and serious injury at camera sites and a 22 per cent. reduction in personal injury collisions.

Trams: Leeds

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department spent on consultants for work on the Leeds Supertram; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The Department for Transport has spent a total of 106,748.26 on consultancy services specifically related to the Leeds Supertram scheme since the project was originally submitted to the Department by the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive in 2000.

Transport: Sussex

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make a statement on the remit and timescale of the proposed Sussex Route Utilisation Study.

Tom Harris: Network Rail is responsible for preparing Route Utilisation Strategies (RUSs). The remit of RUSs is to seek to balance capacity, passenger and freight demand, operational performance and cost, to address the requirements of funders and stakeholders. Work on the Sussex RUS commenced in January 2008. The RUS is due to be completed during 2009.

Transport: Yorkshire and the Humber

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding her Department has allocated for new transport projects in Yorkshire and the Humber in the next 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: In addition to the 927 million that has been allocated to the Yorkshire and Humber region for major transport projects up to 2015-16, a further 232 million has been allocated for smaller scale local authority integrated transport schemes for the next three-year period up to 2010-11.
	There is also currently 65 million of programmed expenditure on the motorway network and a further 8 million on the rail network in Yorkshire and Humber, both within the next 10-year period.
	Additional road and rail schemes in Yorkshire and Humber that will involve considerable levels of funding in the coming 10 years are at the option development stage, and as such, it is not currently possible to allocate specific funding levels against them.
	Certainly, additional transport funding will be available for Yorkshire and Humber over the next 10-year period, including allocations from the 200 million that has been made available to support housing growth through the Community Infrastructure Fund and the 10 billion that has been set aside for enhancing the capacity of the national rail network. However, this has yet to be allocated toward specific schemes.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Council Tax and Non-Domestic Rating (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2006

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what changes her Department is planning to make to regulation 14 of the Council Tax and Non-Domestic Rating (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2006.

John Healey: The Government are not seeking to make changes to the Council Tax and Non-Domestic Rating (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2006.

Council Tax: Appeals

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley, of 1 February 2008,  Official Report, column 688W, on council tax: appeals, how many council tax appeals were  (a) received,  (b) considered by tribunals and  (c) allowed in whole or in part, in (i) 2005-06, (ii) 2006-07 and (iii) 2007-08 to date, broken down by billing authority.

John Healey: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Council Tax: Pensioners

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities have introduced local council tax discounts for pensioners.

John Healey: As at 8 October 2007, four authoritiesBury metropolitan borough council, Kirklees council, the London borough of Hillingdon and the metropolitan borough council of Wirralreported that they had introduced schemes to grant local council tax discounts for pensioners.

Empty Property: Rates and Rating

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who is liable to pay empty property rates; and who is eligible for exemption from empty property rates.

John Healey: Section 45 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 provides that owners of empty non-domestic properties are liable to pay non-domestic rates unless the property falls within a class prescribed by regulation 4 of the Non-Domestic Rating (Unoccupied Property) (England) Regulations 2008 No. 386, which was laid before Parliament on the 26 February 2008.

Housing: Rural Areas

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department gives to local authorities and inspectors on the consideration to be given to local housing need when reaching planning decisions on proposals for affordable housing in rural areas where the proposals are brought forward under rural exceptions policies.

Iain Wright: holding answer 14 March 2008
	Planning Policy Statement 3 Housing (PPS3) expects local planning authorities and regions to take a positive, plan-led approach to providing market and affordable housing in rural areas. In particular, it requires authorities to assess local need for affordable housing so that they can set appropriate targets for the amount of housing to be provided in their plans, including specifying the size and type of housing that, in their judgment, is likely to be required.
	Where proposals are brought forward for affordable housing under the rural exception site policy, PPS3 expects that schemes are considered against the local plan's housing objectives, including the need for affordable housing in the area. In particular, a rural exception site policy should be used to address the needs of the local community by accommodating households who are either current residents or have an existing family or employment connection, while also ensuring that rural areas continue to develop as sustainable, mixed, inclusive communities.

Ipsos MORI

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what payments each English regional chamber has made to Ipsos MORI in the last 24 months; and what the purpose of each such payment was.

John Healey: In 2006-07 the South East England Regional Assembly spent 63,240 on research to inform the region's updated Regional Housing Strategy and housing investment priorities. In 2007-08 the Assembly has committed to spend 62,300 on research to gather residents' views on regional priorities.
	In 2006-07 the East Midlands Regional Assembly spent 52,700 on Ipsos MORI research to gather residents' views on regional priorities.
	None of the other six Regional Assemblies engaged Ipsos MORI to undertake research in the period concerned.

Land: Contamination

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to provide the Welsh Assembly Government with the analysis of the cluster innovative project on the restoration of groups of contaminated sites.

Iain Wright: The 'Cluster' approach involves identifying a hub site to act as a centre for processing and treating contaminated soils. It is then possible to clean up and redevelop a number of local smaller sites by sending contaminated soils to the hub site for treatment and then returning the cleaned up soils for reuse as part of the development works at the smaller sites.
	English Partnerships, together with National Grid and the Environment Agency, have been working on a pilot 'Cluster' project in Sheffield. The generic working plan for this concept is currently being written up and will be published in spring 2008. The document will demonstrate how 'Cluster' works on the ground and will substantiate the predicted environmental and financial savings. A workshop is being organized by CL:AIRE (Contaminated Land: Applications in Real Environments) in association with English Partnerships to launch the document. An invitation to the workshop will be issued to the Welsh Assembly Government. The generic working plan will also be made available on the CL:AIRE website www.claire.co.uk so that any interested organization can access it.

Local Authorities: Pensions

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the value of each local authority's pension fund was at the most recent date for which information is available; and what estimate she has made of the value of each local authority's fund invested in accordance with a socially responsible investment policy;
	(2)  what steps the Government has taken to promote socially responsible investment policies among fund holding local authority pension schemes; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: Since 2000, the 89 pension fund authorities in England and Wales which administer the Local Government Pension Scheme have been required by the scheme's regulations to publish and maintain a Statement of Investment Principles, including their policy on the extent to which social, environmental or ethical considerations are taken into account in the selection, retention and realisation of investments. The regulations also require that each statement is published locally.
	All the scheme's funds in England and Wales are undergoing an actuarial valuation of their funds as at 31 March 2007, as required by its regulations. The outcome for each fund will not be known until later in the year. In the meantime, the results from the 2004 valuation for English local authorities participating in the Scheme are given at
	www.xoq83.dial.pipex.com/actvale.pdf.
	Information about the proportion of funds invested under a socially responsible investment policy is held by individual fund authorities; it is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Individual fund authorities in England and Wales will be able to provide specific figures for their funds.

Local Government Finance: Newcastle-under-Lyme

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for North Tyneside of 3 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 2139-40W, what progress is being made in the recovery of the money wrongly paid to Newcastle-under-Lyme borough council.

John Healey: My officials are discussing options for repayment of the mis-allocated funding with Newcastle-under-Lyme borough council, with a view to reaching a swift conclusion.

Local Government Services: Assessments

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with what frequency each local authority will be assessed under the new comprehensive area assessment; and what effect  (a) the previous inspection rating of the authority and  (b) the type of authority will have on the frequency of assessment.

John Healey: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the Chief Executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member directly.
	 Letter from Steve Bundred, dated 17 March 2008:
	Your Parliamentary Question which asks with what frequency each local authority will be assessed under the new comprehensive area assessment and how those frequencies will vary according to (a) the previous inspection rating of the authority and (b) the type of authority has been passed to me to reply.
	The Audit Commission is working in partnership with Ofsted, the Commission for Social Care Inspection, the Healthcare Commission, HMI Constabulary, HMI Probation and HMI Prisons to develop the Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) framework. The first CAA reports are planned for the autumn of 2009.
	Outline proposals for the CAA framework were set out by the inspectorates in our joint consultation paper of November 2007. This explained that the three-yearly rolling programmes of corporate assessments of all single tier and county councils and joint area reviews of children's services would both end in 2008/09. The annual service assessments of adult social care, children and young people, housing, environment, culture and benefits will also end with the final set of Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) scores in 2008/09. The CPA framework for district councils, which does not involve annual service assessments or a rolling programme of corporate assessments, will also end in 2008/09.
	In place of CPA, CAA will require fewer major inspection events and will shift the focus of the inspectorates from detailed service management issues to the outcomes being achieved in partnership by the public bodies in each area. Greater reliance will be placed on self assessment and the improvement activity of local authorities themselves, and the volume of inspection will reduce significantly.
	The government's policy priorities for CAA were set out in a joint ministerial commissioning letter to the inspectorates in April 2007. That letter stated that:
	The CAA will comprise:
	annual publication of the performance of all areas against all the measures in the single set of around 200 national indicators;
	an Annual Risk Assessment for every areato be delivered jointly by the Audit Commission working with other inspectorates;
	an annual scored Direction of Travel judgement for every local authority which assesses the effectiveness of each local authority in driving continuous improvement; and
	an annual scored Use of Resources judgement for all local authorities, Primary Care Trusts, Fire  Rescue Authorities and Police Authorities by the Audit Commission, building on the current such judgements to provide public, independent assurance about the organisational effectiveness of these key local partners.
	The November joint inspectorate consultation document set out a proposed approach to delivering these elements of CAA. Although each element is proposed to be reported annually, the inspection work required will be heavily influenced by the performance of the local authority and, where relevant, its partners and the inspectorates' assessment of risk. In this way, high performing local authorities and partnerships will experience significantly less inspection activity than their lower performing peers, and the total volume of inspection activity will be significantly less than at present.
	The inspectorates are currently evaluating the 327 responses to the November consultation, which closed on 15 February 2008, and will be considering changes to the proposed CAA framework both in the light of those responses and their early field testing of different elements. Any proposed changes will be subject to thorough discussion with all stakeholders, including local and central government, other local public services and the third sector.
	A further joint consultation paper due in July 2008 will present the revised proposals and will include a more detailed explanation of how the inspectorates will ensure that the CAA framework reduces the burden of assessment on local authorities, and their partners, and reflects a proportionate approach to risk and performance. After a further round of pilots in the summer and autumn, the final CAA framework will be published in December 2008.
	I trust that this reply is helpful and I would be happy to provide further details or meet to discuss the development of CAA at any time.
	The text of this letter will be placed in Hansard.

National Brownfield Forum

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria will be used to determine the stakeholder membership of the National Brownfield Forum; and when she expects the forum to be established.

Iain Wright: The National Brownfield Forum will oversee the implementation of the National Brownfield Strategy and will report annually on progress. The Forum will aim to improve co-ordination between Government, the regulators and practitioners and to encourage the exchange of best practice and knowledge. The main criteria used to determine the membership of the group will be to secure the most effective representation across the range of stakeholders involved in brownfield issues including Government Departments, Government Agencies, Devolved Administrations, private sector network representation, NGOs and professional institutions. The aim is to hold about four meetings a year with the first taking place in early summer 2008.

Public Lavatories

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research the Audit Commission has undertaken on the provision of public conveniences since May 1997; and what advice it has issued to local authorities based on such research.

John Healey: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the Chief Executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member directly.
	 Letter from Steve Bundred, dated 17 March 2008:
	Your Parliamentary Question on what research the Audit Commission has undertaken on the provision of public conveniences since May 1997; and what advice it has issued to local authorities based on such research has been passed to me to reply.
	The Audit Commission has not carried out research into the provision of public conveniences, nor do we plan to do so. Consequently the Commission has not issued any advice to local authorities.
	The text of this letter will be placed in Hansard.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Armed Forces: Peterborough

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints have been received by Cambridgeshire police of abuse of service personnel in Peterborough in the last six months.

Tony McNulty: This information is not collected by the Home Office.

Arrests

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests were made in London by the Metropolitan police in each of the last 10 years.

Tony McNulty: The arrests collection undertaken by the Ministry of Justice provides data on persons arrested for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only. The number of arrests made by the Metropolitan police is given in the table from 1999-2000 (previous years data are unreliable) to 2005-06 (latest available). From aggregated data collected centrally we are not able to identify the location of an arrest.
	
		
			  Persons arrested for recorded crime (notifiable offences) by the Metropolitan police force 1999-2000 to 2005-06England and Wales 
			   Number 
			 1999-2000 202,218 
			 2000-01 180,634 
			 2001-02 179,358 
			 2002-03 186,808 
			 2003-04 185,254 
			 2004-05 (1)187,808 
			 2005-06 200,029 
			 (1) Figures amended since publication of 2004/05 Bulletin.  Note:  Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when these data are used.

Borders: Police

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 11 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 11-12WS, on policing (UK borders), 
	(1)  what percentage of the costs of deploying special branch officers was met by the dedicated security post grants in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by constabulary;
	(2)  to which police forces and agencies each of those police permanently based at UK borders belong; how many are  (a) warranted constables,  (b) police community support officers and  (c) civilian staff; what powers local chief constables have to redeploy police based at UK borders; and whether ministerial approval is required for such redeployments.

Tony McNulty: The Government allocate funding to the relevant local police force for Special Branch officers through the dedicated security post grants, as a contribution towards their costs. The percentage breakdown requested is not held centrally.
	The Home Office works closely with the ACPO National Co-ordinator of Ports Policing to determine the distribution of the DSP grant between force areas. The outcome of the 2008-09 allocation of the DSP grant reflected a national reassessment of the priorities for Special Branch presence at ports across the UK. This resulted in a decision to increase the overall presence by the 39 additional officers referred to in the
	written ministerial statement of 11 March 2008. It would prejudice the operational effectiveness of Special Branch work at ports to disclose how the distribution of officers was broken down by port or force area.
	The deployment of police officers, police community support officers and civilian staff at the UK border is an operational matter for individual Chief Officers. Ministerial approval is not required for those deployments, and the breakdown requested is not held centrally.

Case Reference B3416/7 (H423624)

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what steps she is taking to find the file relating to the constituent of the hon. Member for Vauxhall, case reference B3416/7 (H423624); and when she expects the case to be resolved;
	(2)  when she expects to answer question 180305 tabled by the hon. Member for Vauxhall on 25 January, on finding the file regarding a constituent of the hon. Member for Vauxhall, case reference B34164/7 (H423624).

Liam Byrne: I wrote to the hon. Member on 10 March 2008.

Citizenship

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether  (a) participation in the activities of political parties and  (b) preaching of religion by migrants holding probationary citizenship will count as active citizenship, as outlined in her Department's Green Paper, A Pathway to Citizenship.

Liam Byrne: We are proposing that migrants who have demonstrated their commitment to the UK and contribute in a positive way to British society should be allowed to complete the journey to citizenship more quickly than those who have chosen not to. The Green Paper sets out a list of activities already in existence which we believe could constitute a good list for would be citizens to consider. This list does not include either participation in the activities of political parties or preaching of religion by migrants. We are inviting views on the type of activities that should be taken into account. We will finalise our proposalsensuring that only those activities which contribute in a positive way are taken into accountfollowing the consultation period which ends on 14 May.

Criminal Investigation: Portugal

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what work was carried out by those UK police officers who assisted in the investigation into the disappearance of Madeline McCann in Portugal; and if she will make a statement .

Tony McNulty: A number of UK law enforcement agencies have provided operational assistance to the Portuguese authorities in the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress her Department has made in its zero-based budget review under the comprehensive spending review.

Liam Byrne: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the Annex pertaining to the Home Office, (Annex D7) in Meeting the aspirations of the British people: the 2007 Pre-Budget Report and Comprehensive Spending Review (Cm 7227). Further detail on our plans to deliver value for money across the comprehensive spending review period can be found in my Department's Value for Money Delivery Agreement, published on the Home Office website on 5 December 2007.

Departmental Equality

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what conclusions her Department has reached in fulfilment of the duty under section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice of the disability equality duty.

Liam Byrne: We plan to publish the Race, Disability and Gender Equality Scheme progress report later this spring 2008.
	The evidence received to date shows that Home Office has been working with other Government Departments to combat disability blue badge theft, fraud and misuse. Much work has been undertaken to involve a wide range of organisations, such as Mencap, Voice UK, The Anne Craft Trust, and Age Concern, whilst developing the Crime Strategy. The Home Office has also achieved the RNIB See it Right with UseAbility accreditation. The Interview Office Network premises have all undergone rigorous consultation with focus groups to ensure that all premises meet Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) requirements.
	Reasonable adjustments are made for staff under the Home Office Access to Work scheme. Guidance on the scheme is made available to all staff to ensure that the necessary adjustments are made.

Departmental ICT

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many attempted hacking or suspected cyber attacks or other malicious computer security breaches were committed against her Department's computer systems in each of the last three years for which information is available; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: It is not in the interests of the UK's national security for departments to confirm whether they hold information about attacks against their IT systems. This would enable individuals to deduce how successful the UK is in detecting these attacks and so assist such persons in testing the effectiveness of the UK's IT defences. This is not in the public interest.

Departmental Impact Assessments

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many regulatory impact assessments her Department has conducted in the last 12 months.

Liam Byrne: Information on the final Regulatory Impact Assessments published between 1 January and 30 June 2007 can be found in Command Paper 7297, available at:
	http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm72/7297/7297.pdf
	For The Home Office, five Regulatory Impact Assessments have been listed. Departments are in the process of identifying the final Regulatory Impact Assessments published between 1 July and 31 December 2007. From April 2008, all final Impact Assessments will be published on a central website.

Departmental Internet

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Wikipedia entries have been  (a) created and  (b) amended (i) by (A) special advisers, (B) Ministers and (C) communications officials and (ii) from IP addresses of (1) special advisers, (2) Ministers and (3) communications officials in (x) her Department and (y) its agencies since August 2005.

Liam Byrne: Information on Wikipedia entries created by Home Office special advisers, Ministers and communication officials could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Labour Turnover

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the percentage turnover of staff was in  (a) her Department and  (b) her Department's agencies in (i) the last 12-month period and (ii) the last 24-month period for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office had the following staff turnover over the last 12 and 24-month periods.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   12 months November 2006 to October 2007  24 months November 2005 to October 2007 
			 Home Office Headquarters 1.90 4.60 
			 Border and Immigration Agency 3.07 6.58 
			 Identity and Passport Agency 7.80 7.10 
			 Criminal Records Bureau 6.80 16.70 
			 HMPS (moved to MOJ on 9 May 2007) 8.40 16.80

Departmental Legislation

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what legislation sponsored by her Department since 1997 has yet to be brought into force, broken down by Act.

Tony McNulty: The following table lists provisions of Acts for which the Home Office has policy responsibility which received Royal Assent since 1 May 1997, but which (as at 13 March 2008) are not yet in force.
	
		
			  Act  Sections not in force 
			 Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 85(5), Sch 2(2) 
			 Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 78 
			 Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 16 
			 Crime (International Co-Operation) Act 2003 10-12, 20-25, 54-75, Sch 3, Sch 4 
			 Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 78(7), 80(4), Sch 7 part 6 (in part) 
			 Domestic Violence, Crime and 'Victims Act 2004 9, 12 and Schedules 10, 11 and 12 (in part) 
			 Drugs Act 2005 2 
			 Identity Cards Act 2006 l(l)-(4), l(5)-(8), 2-24, 27-29, 30, 31-34, 35, 39, 41, 42,43, Sch 1 
			 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 16 and 17, 117(5) 
			 Immigration Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 4, 33, 44, 47, 50(3) and (6) 
			 Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 10(5)(a), 17 and 18 (for certain purposes), 19-34, 35(1)(a)-(g)(i) and (2) and (3), 36, 37, 39, 40(2) and (3), 44-47, 51 to 53, 124 
			 Police and Justice Act 2006 14, 17, 19(l)-(9) and (11), 20, 21, 34-38, 39(l)-(3), (5)-(7), 40(l)-(3), (5)-(7), 43(1), 46 (part) and Schedules 8, 11 and 12, and Schedules 1, 2, 5, 13, 14, and 15 (all in part) 
			 Police Reform Act 2002 45 
			 Private Security Industry Act 2001 17 (part) 
			 Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 Sch 11 para 17 (2) and Sch 12 (part) 
			 UK Borders Act 2007 9, 10-11 (part), 12,13 (part) 17,19 and 21, 24-25, 32-39 
			 Serious Crime Act 2007 The Act, except the following provisions which have been brought into force in part or for some purposes: sections 24(9) and (10), 37, 40(1), (2) and (4), 68(8), 71(1), (2), (4) and (5), 73, 74(1)(2) and (3), 85, 88 and 92 and Schedule 7, paragraphs 1, 2, 4 and 6, Schedule 8 paragraphs 115 and 169 and Schedule 14. 
			 Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 120, 114(9), 117(part), 162(3), Sch 4 (part), Sch 9 (part), Sch 10 (part), Sch 14 (part) 
			 Vehicle (Crime) Act 2001 8, 34, 35, 36, Sch paras 1 and 2 
			 Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 1-14, 15-20, 43 (part), 59, 61, Sch 2 (part), Sch 5 (part)

Departmental Plants

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on pot plants in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: A limited number of pot plants are provided through the PFI contract in some of the shared areas of 2 Marsham street, the costs of which are not charged separately. Elsewhere on the Department's estate figures on pot plant costs are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost

Departmental Property

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many residential properties her Department owns; how many of these are vacant; and how many of these have been vacant for longer than  (a) three,  (b) six and  (c) 12 months.

Liam Byrne: The Department owns one residential property (held on long lease) which has been vacant for just over 12 months. Agents have been appointed to dispose of it.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will break down her Department's outturn by subhead in  (a) near cash and  (b) non-cash terms for the financial years 2001-02 to 2006-07.

Liam Byrne: Near cash/non-cash splits relate to Departmental Expenditure Limit resource budget controls and are not compatible with Supply Estimates which relate to voted resource expenditure.
	The following table assigns the near and non-cash elements of the 2002-07 resource DEL outturns to the related sections used in the Spring Supplementary Estimate 2007-08. The outturns shown take account of all later Machinery of Government and classification changes and are on a basis comparable to that used in the Spring Supplementary Estimate 2007-08. Outturn for 2001-02 has not been included as comparative historical data are only readily available for five past years.
	
		
			2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			   Resource DEL  Near cash  Non- cash  Near cash  Non- cash  Near cash  Non- cash  Near cash  Non- cash  Near cash  Non- cash 
			 A Police 146,881 1,371 109,705 1,636 94,028 926 116,789 1,870 84,211 (5,599) 
			 B Crime reduction 2,458 0 262 0 40,712 7 38,232 0 36,555 1,272 
			 C Criminal Records Bureau 31,768 0 6,261 1,098 (2,347) 1,348 (18,837) 635 (25,393) (1) 
			 C Counter terrorism and Intelligence 79,829 7,320 119,521 11,639 128,036 12,724 154,189 16,265 112,301 0 
			 E Drugs 29,354 0 15,272 0 14,554 21 (8,204) 0 23,204 0 
			 K Border and Immigration Agency 1,515,113 82,825 1,434,049 52,420 1,343,048 17,701 1,280,276 34,798 1,246,394 76,242 
			 L Identity and Passport Service (11,350) 0 (26,639) 4,402 (11,332) 2,660 (30,868) 12,000 8,159 22,237 
			 M Central services 211,147 17,043 198,689 5,516 228,103 13,568 214,619 1,048 222,375 6,075 
			 N European refugee fund 0 0 (16) 0 2,516 0 0 0 (1,015) 0 
			 O Police grants 4,396,974 0 4,891,237 0 4,892,366 0 5,274,990 0 5,257,093 0 
			 P Crime reduction grants 112,416 0 99,002 0 169,487 0 122,923 0 155,232 0 
			 Q Counter terrorism and intelligence grants 51,265 0 82,414 0 215,522 0 288,982 0 264,408 0 
			 R Border and Immigration Agency grants 255,684 0 403,157 0 255,168 0 215,255 0 146,880 0 
			 W Independent Police Complaints Commission 0 0 10,390 0 21,294 2,792 24,059 2,315 28,230 3,042 
			 X SOCA 7,886 0 7,380 0 7,261 0 6,538 0 364,310 22,743 
			 Y Security Industry Authority 0 0 6,836 533 9,071 3,042 1,076 3,389 (1,000) 3,047 
			 AE Office of the Immigration Service Commissioner 3,419 191 3,092 183 3,654 182 (1,547) 1,696 4,260 120 
			 AH National Policing Improvement Agency 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Central Police Training and Development Agency(1) 73,416 16,888 93,246 0 73,934 9,349 91,582 11,217 51,130 19,429 
			  Firearms compensation(3) 63 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Kosovan evacuees special grant(3) 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  National Crime Squad(2) 134,246 6,118 155,741 6,800 155,567 6,200 132,569 19,501 0 0 
			  National Criminal Intelligence Service(2) 58,728 13,861 70,160 12,272 74,706 9,129 69,926 7,980 0 0 
			  Police Complaints Authority(1) 5,234 2,681 5,395 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Police information technology organisation(1) 58,544 1,936 119,845 1,450 166,934 880 193,533 2,580 193,318 10,251 
			  Grand total 7,163,095 150,234 7,804,999 97,949 7,882,288 80,529 8,166,082 115,294 8,170,652 158,858 
			 (1 )NDPB's superseded by the National Policing Improvement Agency (section AH). (2 )NDPB's superseded by SOCA (section X). (3 )Estimate sections that are no longer used.

Departmental Publicity

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent staff are responsible for brand management and marketing in her Department and its agencies.

Liam Byrne: Home Office information provision provides the public with factual information, practical advice and access to services, on for example, how to protect themselves against crime, access help for drug users, and protect their children on the internet.
	The number of full-time equivalent staff responsible for information provision is:
	22 in the relevant Home Office Communication Directorate;
	six in the Border and Immigration agency; and
	six in Identity and Passport Service.
	The number of full-time equivalent staff responsible for brand management is:
	10 per cent. of one post in the Home Office central Corporate Communication unit in Communication Directorate;
	50 per cent. of four posts in the Border and Immigration agency owing to new brand implementation as a result of the new agency structure; and
	one in Identity and Passport Service.

Departmental Translation Services

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of her Department's translation and interpreting work is outsourced through framework agreements with commercial providers; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The Department's policy is to outsource all translation work through framework agreements with commercial providers. The Department has no similar agreements in relation to interpreting. Where the Department requires face-to-face interpreting services these are generally obtained from individual freelance interpreters.

Deportation

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons apart from those refused entry at port and subsequently removed, those dealt with at juxtaposed controls, asylum seekers and their dependants, foreign national prisoners at the end of the sentences, those leaving under assisted voluntary return programmes and those who it has been established left the UK without informing the immigration authorities, were removed from the UK in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 21 January 2008
	The following table shows the number of non-asylum cases removed from the UK as a result of enforcement action between 2003 and 2007. These figures may include some persons departing voluntarily after enforcement action had been initiated against them and foreign national prisoners. This is the latest five year period for which national statistics are available.
	The figures provided exclude non-asylum cases refused entry at port and subsequently removed including cases dealt with at juxtaposed controls, all persons who had claimed asylum at some stage (including their dependants), those leaving under assisted voluntary return programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration and those who it is established have left the UK without informing the immigration authorities.
	Published statistics on immigration and asylum are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
	
		
			  Non-asylum cases removed from the UK as a result of enforcement action and voluntary departures( 1, 2, 3, ) 2002-07 
			   Number of removals 
			 2003 11,365 
			 2004 10,070 
			 2005 11,970 
			 2006(4) 9,800 
			 2007(4) 12,410 
			 (1) Includes enforced removals and persons departing voluntarily after enforcement action had been initiated against them.  (2) Excludes persons refused entry at port and subsequently removed (including those dealt with at juxtaposed controls), persons leaving under assisted voluntary return programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration, those who it is established have left the UK without informing the immigration authorities and all asylum removals (including dependants).  (3) Figures rounded to the nearest five.  (4) Provisional figures.

Deportation: Police Custody

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours on average detainees awaiting deportation spent in police custody in  (a) Staffordshire and  (b) the West Midlands in 2007.

Liam Byrne: The information requested could be obtained by the detailed examination of individual case records and it would only be at disproportionate cost to provide the detail requested.

English Language

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has spent on English language classes for staff in the last year for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office does not fund or provide English language classes for staff on a departmental wide basis. Staff needs are identified on an individual basis and any requirements not provided centrally may be met from local provision. No records are held centrally of local provision and it would incur a disproportionate cost to identify the nature of locally provided training across the Department.

Entry Clearances: Employment

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the dependants of the work-permit holders given leave to enter the UK since 1 January 2004 were aged under 16 years.

Liam Byrne: The requested figures are in the following table.
	
		
			  Passengers recorded as aged under 16 given leave to enter the United Kingdom as dependants of work permit holders, 2004 to 2006 
			   Number 
			 2004 16,700 
			 2005 17,700 
			 2006 18,700 
			 Total 53,200 
			  Notes: 1. Data rounded to three significant places, therefore they do not sum to the total shown. 2. Includes nationals of the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia before 1 May 2004, but excludes them from this date. 3. This information is not published as a National Statistic. As such, it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change.

Entry Clearances: Offenders

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals were granted entry clearance or leave to enter the UK  (a) who had and  (b) who went on to gain in the UK a conviction which in the UK would result in at least a 12 month prison sentence in the last 12 months.

Liam Byrne: It has been made clear that we will seek to deport those foreign nationals who commit serious crimes within the UK. The chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency has regularly updated the Home Affairs Committee with the most robust and accurate information available on the subject of foreign national prisoners. The information requested would require the detailed examination of individual casefiles at disproportionate cost.

Evidence

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedure is followed by police officers investigating cases where the available evidence is based on conflicting statements by the complainant and alleged perpetrator; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: It is an operational matter for the chief officer to determine whether to proceed with an investigation. If the decision is taken to proceed with the investigation, paragraph 3.5 of the Code of Practice issued under the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 provides that investigators
	should pursue all reasonable lines of inquiry, whether these point towards or away from the suspect.
	If conflicting statements are made by the complainant and the person they have accused of committing an offence, police would seek independent evidence to see which of the conflicting accounts can be corroborated. Depending on the offence concerned, this evidence might take the form of forensic examinations or come from statements taken from independent witnesses who are unconnected with either the complainant or the suspect. It might also involve asking the complainant and suspect for more details to check and test what they said previously. At any stage, it would be for police to decide whether they have sufficient grounds to arrest the suspect and whether arrest is necessary to progress the investigation.

Foreigners: Sports

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2083W, on foreigners: sports, whether she plans to increase  (a) the visa fee payable for a sportsperson from a visa national country coming to participate at a sporting event in the UK and  (b) what the visa national countries are.

Liam Byrne: The visa fee currently payable for a sportsperson from a visa national country coming to participate at a sporting event in the UK is 99.
	Applications made under the creative and sporting sub-category of tier 5 of the points based system will be set at 99also below cost recovery levels.
	A list of the countries subject to a visa regime is as follows.
	Afghanistan
	Albania
	Algeria
	Angola
	Armenia
	Azerbaijan
	Bahrain
	Bangladesh
	Belarus
	Benin
	Bhutan
	Bosnia Herzegovina
	Burkina Faso
	Burma
	Burundi
	Cambodia
	Cameroon
	Cape Verde
	Central African Republic
	Chad
	People's Republic of China (except those referred to in sub-paragraphs 2(d) and (e) of this appendix)
	Colombia
	Comoros
	Congo
	Cuba
	Democratic Republic of the Congo
	Djibouti
	Dominican Republic
	Ecuador
	Egypt
	Equatorial Guinea
	Eritrea
	Ethiopia
	Fiji
	Gabon
	Gambia
	Georgia
	Ghana
	Guinea
	Guinea Bissau
	Guyana
	Haiti
	India
	Indonesia
	Iran
	Iraq
	Ivory Coast
	Jamaica
	Jordan
	Kazakhstan
	Kenya
	Korea (North)
	Kuwait
	Kyrgyzstan
	Laos
	Lebanon
	Liberia
	Libya
	Macedonia
	Madagascar
	Malawi
	Mali
	Mauritania
	Moldova
	Mongolia
	Morocco
	Mozambique
	Nepal
	Niger
	Nigeria
	Oman
	Pakistan
	Peru
	Philippines
	Qatar
	Russia
	Rwanda
	Sao Tome e Principe
	Saudi Arabia
	Senegal
	Sierra Leone
	Somalia
	Sri Lanka
	Sudan
	Surinam
	Syria
	Taiwan
	Tajikistan
	Tanzania
	Thailand
	Togo
	Tunisia
	Turkey
	Turkmenistan
	Uganda
	Ukraine
	United Arab Emirates
	Uzbekistan
	Vietnam
	Yemen
	Zambia
	Zimbabwe
	The territories formerly comprising the socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
	(b) Persons who hold passports or travel documents issued by the former Soviet Union or by the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
	(c) Stateless persons.
	(d) Persons who hold non-national documents.

Immigrants: Pakistan

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of how many and what proportion of spouses from Pakistan arrived in the UK in each of the last 10 years unable to speak English.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is not available. It is not a current requirement of the immigration rules for a spouse to demonstrate command of the English language before he/she can be granted spouse entry clearance in order to enter the UK.

Immigration

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to her letter to the Home Affairs Committee of 17 December 2007, how many of the cases closed under the legacy exercise were due to  (a) erroneous and  (b) duplicate records; how such errors and duplications arose; how many of the individuals concerned have been traced; how many of the cases were closed because the individual concerned could not be traced; and what estimate she has made of the number of people dealt with by the legacy exercise who remain in the UK without leave to remain.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 10 January 2008
	On 17 December 2007 Lin Homer provided a written update to the Home Affairs Select Committee stating that 52,000 older asylum cases had been concluded and of these 17,000 were closed due to previously erroneous or duplicate errors. Of this 17,000, approximately 2,000 were duplicates; 9,500 were errors and 5,500 were EU nationals where the individual originally applied for asylum, but their country of origin has since acceded to the EU.
	These errors and duplications arose as part of the backlog of unresolved cases that the previous Home Secretary informed the House of in July 2006.
	Where a case has been closed because it is a duplicate or an error, the individuals involved will already have been granted status or removed.
	The previous Home Secretary also referred to the fact that some in some cases the individuals may have died or left the country since they had claimed asylum. We often do not have this information recorded. In future, when we introduce electronic embarkation checks, the situation should improve. In the meantime there are some individuals we are struggling to trace.
	It is not possible to accurately forecast the number of people remaining in the UK without leave to remain under the legacy exercise, as each case is decided on its merits and there are an unknown, and significant number of data errors in the case records. We are prioritising cases using the following criteria: those who may pose a risk to the public, those who can more easily be removed, those receiving support, and those who may be granted leave.

Immigration Control Officer

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what rank the supervising officer on duty at immigration control at major UK ports of entry is required to be while that port is operational.

Liam Byrne: The primary arrivals control is operated by Immigration Officers who are supervised by Chief Immigration Officers at major UK ports.
	A senior role is provided by HM Immigration Inspectors who have the responsibility for overall management of BIA port operations.

Immigration Controls

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if she will make a statement on the rules and procedures to combat illegal migration and progress expected to be made in areas such as border management, document security and the fight against organised crime by  (a) Albania,  (b) Bosnia and Herzegovina,  (c) Montenegro,  (d) Serbia,  (e) the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,  (f) the Government and  (g) the European Union in order to meet the terms of visa facilitation and readmission agreements;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on the effect for UK border control of the visa facilitation and readmission agreements between the EU and  (a) Albania,  (b) Bosnia and Herzegovina,  (c) Montenegro,  (d) Serbia and  (e) the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Liam Byrne: The UK maintains the security of its own border controls and does not participate in EU visa facilitation agreements. The EU visa facilitation agreements concluded with the Western Balkan states, and therefore have no direct effect on UK border control. The agreements allow the UK to consider whether it should conclude bilateral visa facilitation agreements with the Western Balkans states. Were we to do so, we would ensure that they were consistent with the protection of the UK border and wider visa policy.
	The UK regards European Community Readmission Agreements as a key part of co-operation with third countries and an essential component in the fight against illegal immigration. These agreements (with the exception of Albania) have only recently come into force, and it is therefore too early to gauge their effectiveness. However, we do expect them to ensure effective and rapid procedures for the identification, documentation and return of persons (nationals of the EU member states and the third country involved; third country nationals and stateless persons) illegally entering or remaining, and to facilitate the transit of persons, in the spirit of co-operation.
	The Western Balkan states are all either candidate countries to join the EU (Croatia, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) or potential candidate countries. Progress in achieving EU-level standards, including in border control and organised crime, is part of the candidate process and is assessed each year by the European Commission.

Immigration Controls

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the likely effect of the introduction of the points-based immigration system on the operation of the resident labour market test; and what plans she has to amend the test.

Liam Byrne: We will ensure that under the PBS we continue to protect the privileged position held by British workers in the job market.

Immigration Controls: Foreign Workers

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if she will make it her policy to ensure that existing safeguards for migrant domestic workers will remain in place following the launch of the points-based migration system;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the likely effect of the new points-based immigration system on domestic workers; and what measures she has put in place to protect domestic workers.

Liam Byrne: We are conducting research and analysis in respect of the current provisions for overseas domestic workers. Once this research is complete, we will publish it. In the light of its findings, we will consider separately, with interested parties, how best to achieve protection for any person, irrespective of how they have entered the UK, who is found to be a victim of trafficking.

Immigration Officers

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent immigration officers were employed in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: The figures for the number of immigration officers (IOs) who have been employed in each year since 1997 are shown in the table.
	Figures provided are for the number of immigration officers as at 31 March each year since 1997, except 2008 where the figures were recorded at 28 February. Data from 31 March 1997 to 31 March 2004 are taken from archived Home Office Personnel systemPIMMS. Data since 31 March 2005 to 28 February 2008 are taken from the Home Office Personnel SystemAdelphi.
	
		
			  Date( 1)  I Os all( 2)  I Os active( 3) 
			 1997 1711.1  
			 1998 1683.4  
			 1999 1617.6  
			 2000 1667.9  
			 2001 2244.2  
			 2002 2459  
			 2003 3052.7  
			 2004 3469.8  
			 2005 3401 3245.3 
			 2006  3439.23 
			 2007  3575.54 
			 2008  3841.6 
			 (1) 31 March data for each year with the exception of 2008 which is 29 February 2008 data. (2) Staff at immigration officer grade, including staff on career break, special leave, maternity leave. (3) Active staff at immigration officer grade, excluding staff on career break, special leave, maternity leave.

Immigration Officers: Crimes of Violence

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines her Department has issued to immigration officers on dealing with members of the public who become violent or abusive while passing through immigration control.

Liam Byrne: Two new offences relating to assaulting an immigration officer have been introduced and come into force on 31 January 2008. Section 3 of the UK Borders Act 2007 introduces new offences where a person assaults or obstructs a designated immigration officer in the exercise of Section 2 of the UK Borders Act. Section 22 of the same act creates an offence of assaulting an immigration officer. Guidance on both of these new offences has been circulated to all Border Control operational staff.
	Further guidance is available to Home Office staff on reducing the risk of violence at work and working alone in safety. This guidance supplements training which immigration officers undertake during their operational service. Local risk assessments are used to determine the appropriate level of Personal Safety Training (PST) required by immigration officers.

Immigration: Deportation

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department further to the letter of 17 December 2007, from Lin Homer, Chief Executive of the Border and Immigration Agency to the Chairman of the Home Affairs Committee, what criteria have been set to prioritise the immigration cases of individuals who are deemed to pose a potential threat to the public; how many such cases have been identified; and how many of the individuals concerned have been deported or otherwise removed from the UK.

Liam Byrne: As Lin Homer wrote in her letter to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 18 February 2008, the
	need to remove the most harmful people first is reflected in the Case Resolution Directorate's priorities and processes
	All applicants and their dependants aged 10 and over are checked against the police national computer (PNC) to establish whether these individuals have criminal convictions in the UK before a decision is made. Where it is identified that the individual has been guilty of serious criminality, we prioritise consideration and seek to deport them in accordance with the Agency-wide criteria.
	As at the end of November 2007, we had concluded 52,000 backlog cases, of which, around one third (16,000) were removals. A detailed breakdown of the reasons for these removals, including whether they related to evidence of serious criminality could be obtained by examination of individual case records, only at disproportionate cost.

Immigration: Eurostar

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) undocumented and  (b) incorrectly documented persons have arrived at London on Eurostar in each of the last 24 months.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 21 January 2008
	 The number of undocumented and inadequately documented passengers arriving in the UK on Eurostar for the last 24 months are as follows:
	
		
			  No document and inadequately documented arrivals at Waterloo/St. Pancras 
			   Jan  Feb  Mar  Apr  May  Jun  Jul  Aug  Sep  Oct  Nov  Dec  Total 
			  2006  
			 No document 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 5 1 0 11 
			 IDA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 3 6 
			 Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 3 6 1 3 17 
			   
			  2007  
			 No Document 0 0 5 6 4 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 19 
			 IDA 2 0 0 3 1 0 0 2 1 1 1 0 11 
			 Total 2 0 5 9 5 0 1 3 2 2 1 0 30

Immigration: Housing

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the impact on demand for social housing arising from the grants of leave to remain under the legacy exercise; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: In dealing specifically with families who have been allowed to remain and are no longer entitled to asylum support, where we judge an individual and their family have a right to live in Britain, our aspiration is that no one need go through the homelessness mechanism. To help make this a reality, we made a number of pledges to local authorities about the way we will work.
	Work on these supported family cases was originally due to be completed by October 2007. In response to concerns expressed by local authorities that the timescales involved were too short, we agreed to extend the work on these cases until March 2008.
	Following my personal review and meetings with a number of local authorities and the LGA we have supported local authorities by:
	putting in place a package of assistance for local authorities, including a 'transitional costs fund';
	improving the detail of case information available to local authorities;
	encouraged our private sector providers to co-operate with the programme (principally by allowing existing properties to transfer to the private rented market);
	worked closely with local authorities in an attempt to reach individual agreements;
	agreed to include schemes to help prevent homelessness in the reimbursement package; this would effectively give local authorities an additional six months to find solutions for individual families.
	We have worked closely with local authorities and our private sector providers to broker arrangements where families given leave to remain can stay in their existing accommodation. Where this proves impossible, we have put in place arrangements to assist them to secure an alternative private sector tenancy rather than moving them into social housing.

Immigration: Iraq

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many former Iraqi employees of the Government have been accommodated in the UK by the Government in 2007; and how many she expects the Government to accommodate in 2008.

Liam Byrne: No former Iraqi employees of the Government were accommodated in 2007 under the scheme of assistance for locally engaged Iraqi staff.
	It would not be appropriate to speculate how many former Iraqi staff will be accommodated in 2008. Each application for assistance will be considered on its merits against the criteria for the scheme and also, in the case of those seeking resettlement under the Gateway Programme, against published policy.

Members: Correspondence

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when she plans to reply to the letter of 13 November 2007 from the hon. Member for Mid Worcestershire inviting the Minister for Borders and Immigration and for the West Midlands to visit Worcestershire to discuss the future of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme;
	(2)  when she will reply to Question 179826, on a reply to correspondence on the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme, tabled by the hon. Member for Mid Worcestershire on 14 January.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 17 January 2008
	 I wrote to the hon. Member on 10 March 2008.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will reply to the letter of 5 February 2008 from the hon. Member for Walsall North concerning a constituent.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 12 March 2008
	I wrote to my hon. Friend the Member for Walsall, North on 7 March 2008. This letter was faxed to his office on the same day.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for Walsall North will receive a reply to his letter of 30 January concerning a constituent, reference H1109704.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 13 March 2008
	The Border and Immigration Agency wrote to the hon. Member on 12 March 2008.

Mr. Rausch

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress her Department has made in finding the file of Mr. Rausch, a constituent of the hon. Member for St. Albans; and what steps are being taken to find the file.

Liam Byrne: The Border and Immigration Agency has Mr. Rausch's file and has written to his home address explaining the next steps for him to take.

Mrs. Nyatsanza

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a decision will be made on the application of Mrs. Nyatsanza of Shoeburyness for the right to stay in the UK on the basis of marriage, Home Office reference C1090509.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 10 December 2008
	 I wrote to the hon. Member on 10 March 2008.

Official Residences

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes have been made by the freeholder to leasehold extension rights regarding the Government House in Pimlico in the last five years.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 31 January 2008
	The property is held on leases to 2053 from a superior tenant. The Department is not aware of any changes to leasehold extension rights by the freeholder.

Official Residences

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 120W, on official residences, if she will place in the Library a copy of the tender advice for the disposal of South Eaton Place;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 455W, on official residences, what the timetable is for producing the home information pack for the sale of South Eaton Place.

Liam Byrne: The appointed selling agents, Savills UK (Sloane Street branch), are preparing advice on the best method of sale of the Home Secretary's former residence. This requires completion of relevant market research and pre-disposal due diligence. Once completed the Department will consider Savills' report and recommendations for successful disposal but as it is likely to be commercially confidential it is unlikely that it can be placed in the Library. The home information pack will be produced when the residence is placed on the market.

Official Residences

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 455W, on official residences, who owns the freehold on the Government House in Pimlico, South Eaton Place.

Liam Byrne: The freehold is owned by Grosvenor and is part of Grosvenor London Estate.

Official Residences

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 455W, on official residences, on what date the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside moved  (a) into and  (b) out of the residence at South Eaton Place.

Liam Byrne: The right hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) moved into the residence at South Eaton Place in the summer of 1997 and moved out in March 2006.

Official Residences

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 455W, on official residences, what costs have been met by the public purse in respect of South Eaton Place during the period in which the property has been vacant.

Liam Byrne: Excluding security-related decommissioning, costs of 4,500 have been incurred since March 2006.

Official Residences

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the value of the Government House in Pimlico was at its most recent valuation.

Liam Byrne: The Department's leasehold interest in this property was most recently valued at 2.4 million.

Police Custody: Death

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons died in police custody from drug-related causes in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: Responsibility for the collation and publication of data in respect of persons who died in police custody rests with the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Police: Lancashire

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police community support officers there were in Lancashire Constabulary in each year since their inception.

Tony McNulty: The requested data are given in the following table, and are published annually in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin Police Service Strength, England and Wales, copies of which are available online and in the Library of the House.
	
		
			  Police community support officer strength( 1)  (FTE)( 2)  for Lancashire as at 31 March 2003 to 31 March 2007( 3) 
			  As at 31 March each year  PCSOs 
			 2003 77 
			 2004 110 
			 2005(4) 161 
			 2006(4) 184 
			 2007(4) 374 
			 (1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (2) Full-time equivalent includes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. (3) Police community support officers were introduced in statute in 2002, therefore data are not available prior to 2002-03. (4) Strength figures as at 31 March 2005 onwards include those staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. Therefore these figures are not comparable with those provided for other years in the table.

Police: Lancashire

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the  (a) force strength and  (b) budget for Lancashire Constabulary was in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: The requested data are given in the following tables.
	
		
			  Police officer strength( 1)  (FTE)( 2)  for Lancashire as at 31 March 1997 to 31 March 2007 
			  Lancashire  Police  f orce  as at 31 March each year   
			 1997 3,248 
			 1998 3,257 
			 1999 3,245 
			 2000 3,179 
			 2001 3,255 
			 2002 3,304 
			 2003(3) 3,339 
			 2004(3) 3,550 
			 2005(3) 3,551 
			 2006(3) 3,583 
			 2007(3) 3,566 
			 (1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items.  (2) Full-time equivalent excludes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave.  (3) Comparable strength (excludes those on career breaks, or maternity/paternity leave). The Police Numbers Task Force (2001) recommended that a clear presentation was made of the numbers of staff employed by police forces including those seconded into the force and those on any type of long or short term absence. These new calculations were first used in 2003, and are not comparable with data prior to March 2003. The data from 2003 onwards used here are termed comparable because they have been calculated on the old basis to allow comparison. 
		
	
	
		
			  Budget for Lancashire Constabulary from 1996-97 to 2007-08 
			 million 
			 1996-97 163.60 
			 1997-98 168.25 
			 1998-99 174.41 
			 1999-00 181.34 
			 2000-01 189.62 
			 2001-02 198.02 
			 2002-03 202.03 
			 2003-04 216.77 
			 2004-05 228.94 
			 2005-06 230.76 
			 2006-07 239.53 
			 2007-08 252.64

Police: Morecambe

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) police community support officers and  (b) police officers there were in Morecambe and Lunesdale in the latest period for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: Figures collected by the Home Office relate to basic command units (BCUs) within police forces, and the BCU that most closely matches the Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency is the northern division of Lancashire constabulary.
	The latest figures published by the Home Office for Lancashire northern division relate to 31 March 2007. The data are on a full-time equivalent basis and shows that there were 70 police community support officers and 444 police officers employed on this date. The figures include those on career breaks and maternity leave that were deployed to this BCU when their absence commenced.

Police: Telford

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many community support officers were deployed by West Mercia Police in its Telford division at the latest date for which a figure is available;
	(2)  how many full-time equivalent police officers were employed in the Telford division of West Mercia Constabulary in  (a) January 1997 and  (b) January 2008.

Tony McNulty: Police service strength data are collected by basic command unit (BCU). The available data relate to the Telford and the Wrekin BCU, have been collected annually since 2002-03 and are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Police strength (FTE)( 1)  in Telford and the Wrekin basic command unit (West Mercia police) as at 31 March 2007( 2) 
			   31 March 2007 
			 Police officers(2, 3) 325 
			 Police community support officers 41 
			 (1) These figures are based on full-time equivalents that have been rounded to the nearest whole number, due to rounding there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of constituent items. Figures include those officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. (2 )BCU data are collected annually as at the end of the financial year (31 March). (3 )BCU data are not available prior to 2002-03. As at 31 March 1997 there were 2,040 police officers in West Mercia constabulary, increasing to 2,400 by 31 March 2007.

Polygamy

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with colleagues in other Departments on the recognition of polygamous marriages; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: I have not had recent discussions with colleagues in other Departments on the recognition of polygamous marriages.
	The Immigration Directorate Instructions at:
	www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyand law/IDIs/idischapter8annexes/
	explain that it is Government policy to prevent the formation of polygamous households in this country. Polygamous marriages contracted overseas can be valid in this country only if:
	1. Neither party was domiciled at the time of marriage in any part of the UK, and
	2. Both parties had the personal capacity to enter into the marriage, and
	3. The marriage is valid under the laws of the country in which it was celebrated.
	A copy of the Immigration Directorate Instructions on polygamous and potential polygamous marriages will be placed in the House Library.

Register of Births

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether individuals whose names are recorded in the Register of Births at the General Register Office who  (a) were and  (b) are registered (i) under British Consular and (ii) Service department registers require any period of residence in the United Kingdom to be considered to be citizens of the United Kingdom.

Liam Byrne: If a child is born overseas and is a British national his or her birth can be registered at the British consulate. The service department registers are for children born to those in the services: a child does not have to be a British national for his or her details to be entered.
	The British Nationality Act 1981, which came into force on 1 January 1983, defines which people born after that date are British citizens. Under that legislation a person may be a British citizen by descent or otherwise by descent. A child born outside the United Kingdom to a parent who is a British citizen otherwise than by descent will be a British citizen by descent. A parent who is a British citizen by descent cannot normally pass on citizenship to a child born outside the United Kingdom.
	An exception to this is for children born to British citizens serving in Crown service or service designated by the Home Secretary as being closely associated with the activities outside the United Kingdom of Her Majesty's Government, and who were recruited to that service in the United Kingdom, or in European Community institution service and were recruited to that service in an EC country. Such children will acquire British citizenship otherwise than by descent and can thus pass citizenship on to their own children born overseas.
	There is no provision for a child born overseas to a non-British citizen employed in the armed forces to become a British citizen, irrespective of his or her inclusion in the service department registers. Such a child would need to be registered as a British citizen or, if an adult, to apply for naturalisation. In order to naturalise he or she would have to meet a number of statutory requirements, which include residence in the United Kingdom.

Stop and Search: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals were found to be illegally carrying  (a) weapons and  (b) drugs during police stop and search procedures in Tamworth constituency in each of the last four years.

Tony McNulty: The available information held by the Ministry of Justice is given in the table for Staffordshire police force area, in which the Tamworth constituency is located.
	
		
			  Number of arrests following stops and searches of persons or vehicles in the Staffordshire police force area, under section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and other legislation( 1) , by period. 
			   Arrests made by reason for arrest 
			   Offensive weapons  Firearms  Drugs 
			 2002-03 151 15 479 
			 2003-04 223 21 819 
			 2004-05 276 23 942 
			 2005-06 342 34 1,072 
			 (1 )Includes searches for drugs and firearms under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Firearms Act 1968 respectively.   Notes:  1. No stops and searches (in anticipation of violence) have been reported by the Staffordshire police force under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 during the periods given in the table.  2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when data are used.

Surveillance

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which forms of interception are subject to authorisation by a warrant from her.

Tony McNulty: All interceptions require authorisation by the Secretary of State.
	The Secretary of State will only approve an interception warrant if it is necessary in the interests of national security; preventing or detecting serious crime; or safeguarding the economic well-being of the UK. In addition, the interception needs to be proportionate and the information obtained not reasonably available by other means. Authorisations are governed by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA). Interception relates to the content of a communication e.g. what is said in a phone call or written in an e-mail.
	Communications data (CD), however, are data about communications and how they were made, but not what was said or written, and include: who participated in the communications; how the communication occurred (e.g. a telephone call, text message or e-mail message); when the communication happened (e.g. the date and time of the call and how long it lasted); where the participants in the communication were located when it took place (e.g. the location of the mobile phone which a text message was sent from and the location of the mobile phone which received the text message).

Terrorism: Arrests

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many of those arrested in connection with suspected offences under  (a) section 57 and  (b) section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000 have been (i) released without charge, (ii) charged, (iii) convicted and given custodial sentences, (iv) convicted and given non-custodial sentences and (v) recommended for deportation or made subject of a decision to deport;
	(2)  how many of those arrested in connection with suspected offences under  (a) section 1 and  (b) section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006 have been (i) released without charge, (ii) charged, (iii) convicted and given custodial sentences, (iv) convicted and given non-custodial sentences and (v) recommended for deportation or made subject of a decision to deport; and of those charged, what offences they were charged with.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 14 March 2008
	Terrorism statistics are provided by the Metropolitan Police Service. The Home Office does not hold all the information requested. The statistics we do hold are not broken down in the format requested.

Vandalism: Arrests

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people under the age of 25 were arrested for vandalism in  (a) England,  (b) the North East,  (c) the Tees Valley and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency or the nearest geographical area for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not collected centrally. The arrests collection undertaken by the Ministry of Justice provides data on persons arrested for recorded crime (notifiable offences), by age group, gender, ethnicity, and main offence group, i.e. violence against the person, sexual offences, robbery, burglary, etc. More detailed data about specific offences do not form part of this collection.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2546W, on Afghanistan, which company provides the civilian air transport used by ISAF in Afghanistan; on how many occasions UK troops have flown in aircraft so provided; what assessment he has made of the contribution to operations that the contract delivers; how the contract is funded and what the UK's contribution is; what percentage of the assets used by the contractor to date has been  (a) rotary and  (b) fixed wing; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The company that provides the civilian air transport in Afghanistan, via the ISAF Contracted Air Transport (ICAT) contract is Mesopotamia Group, a US-registered company. ICAT is not contracted to fly military personnel and so UK military personnel do not travel on these flights. I am pleased with the effects of the ICAT contract, which is making a useful contribution to the NATO mission in Afghanistan, including by reducing pressures on military air and aviation assets. The contract is funded from NATO Common Funding, of which the UK contributes 12 per cent. as a standing share. Of the assets currently used by the contractor for the ICAT contract, 87 per cent. are rotary and 13 per cent. are fixed wing.

Armed Forces: Council Tax

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the payments made to members of the armed forces on active service abroad towards their council tax will be increased from April in line with increases in council tax liabilities.

Derek Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 17 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1114W.

Defence: Honours

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which employees of defence  (a) companies and  (b) related organisations have received honours on the recommendation of his Department in the last five years.

Derek Twigg: The number of employees of defence companies and related organisations who have received honours on the recommendation of the Ministry of Defence in the last five years are set out as follows.
	
		
			   Awards 
			 New Year List 2003 37 
			 Birthday List 2003 38 
			 New Year List 2004 40 
			 Birthday List 2004 40 
			 Special Iraq Reconstruction List 1 
			 New Year List 2005 29 
			 Birthday List 2005 32 
			 New Year List 2006 29 
			 Birthday List 2006 27 
			 New Year List 2007 33 
			 Birthday List 2007 22 
			 New Year List 2008 31 
		
	
	Full details of these awards were published in the  London Gazette.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many officials in his Department  (a) faced disciplinary proceedings as a result of allegations of theft,  (b) were charged with theft and  (c) were dismissed following theft allegations in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: The information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Records are available however, for the total number of disciplinary dismissals from 2005-06 to present. These are as follows:
	
		
			  Ministry of Defence civilian staffall disciplinary dismissals 
			   Number 
			 2005-06 51 
			 2006-07 61 
			 2007-08 53

Departmental Empty Property

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the sums to be paid by his Department in unoccupied property rates in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09.

Derek Twigg: The Department has not made such an estimate. The use of the defence estate is kept under constant review and if property is likely to remain unoccupied, then officials will work closely with the Valuation Office Agency to reduce the Business Rates liability accordingly. Any property surplus to defence requirements will, where practical, either be let or sold in accordance with Treasury guidance.

Departmental Internet

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Wikipedia entries have been  (a) created and  (b) amended (i) by (A) special advisers, (B) Ministers and (C) communications officials and (ii) from IP addresses of (1) special advisers, (2) Ministers and (3) communications officials in (x) his Department and (y) its agencies since August 2005.

Derek Twigg: We are aware of the following 13 Wikipedia entries being amended by communications officials in the MOD or its agencies in the course of their official duties since August 2005:
	20th Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)
	Commander-in-Chief Fleet
	Defence Equipment and Support
	Defence Logistic Organisation
	Defence Procurement Agency
	Electronic Chart Display and Information System
	Falklands Conflict
	Human rights in post-invasion Iraq
	Iraq: Transition to Provincial Iraqi Control
	Met Office
	Operation Sinbad
	RAF High Wycombe
	Warship Support Agency
	All amendments were made to correct factual inaccuracies and in line with the civil service code. We are not aware of any entries being created by communications officials, created or amended by special advisers or Ministers.
	Information on IP addresses is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Official Cars

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what make and model of car  (a) he and  (b) each Minister in his Department selected as their official ministerial car; and what criteria were applied when making the decision in each case.

Derek Twigg: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Transport gave on 7 March 2008,  Official Report, column 8W.

EU Common Foreign and Security Policy

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether under the treaty of Lisbon the European Court of Justice will have jurisdiction over any aspect of the UK's foreign and defence policies; and what the definition of common foreign and security is in the Treaty.

Jim Murphy: I have been asked to reply.
	The jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) over the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) is explicitly excluded with two limited exceptions. The ECJ will be able to monitor the boundary between the CFSP and other EU external action, as is currently the case; it will, in addition, be able to ensure that the CFSP cannot be affected by other EU policies as a distinct and equal area of action. In addition, individuals who are subject to CFSP sanctions will be able to challenge these in court. Individuals can already challenge economic sanctions to which they are subject and the Government welcome this closing of the gap in the judicial protection of the individual.
	The Maastricht treaty established that the Union should define a CFSP covering all areas of foreign and security policy. The treaty of Lisbon reconfirms that the CFSP shall cover all areas of foreign policy and all questions related to the Union's security. It further specifies that the CFSP shall be defined and implemented by the European Council and the Council.

Ipsos MORI

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what payments  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have made to Ipsos MORI in the last 24 months; and for what purposes.

Derek Twigg: Payments made to Ipsos Mori, under the name of Market and Opinion Research International Ltd. by the Ministry of Defence in the last 24 months are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Market and Opinion Research International Ltd. 
			   
			   Financial year 
			  Purpose  2006-07  2007-08 
			 The provision of Tri-Service Recruit Trainee Survey 177,056 240,112 
			 Other services, mainly locally provided 119,340 161,900 
			 Total 296,396 402,012 
		
	
	Information on the other services, which are mainly locally provided, is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which units have served  (a) one tour,  (b) two tours and  (c) three tours and more in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan.

Des Browne: These data are not currently held in the format requested. Officials are working to collate this information from a number of sources. I will therefore write to the hon. Member.

Massareene Barracks

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future role of Massareene Barracks in Antrim.

Derek Twigg: 38 Engineer Regiment will relocate to Massereene Barracks in August 2008. HQ NI and 38 (Irish) Brigade is currently reviewing its longer term basing plan. This review will consider the longer term role of Massereene Barracks.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 24 January, about the Porton Down Servicement Nerve Gas volunteers (Ref: MC00706/2008).

Derek Twigg: I will now reply to the hon. Member imminently.

Navy: Data Protection

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what contact he has made with the devolved administrations to ensure that child protection measures are in place to protect anyone under 18 whose data were on the laptop recently stolen from a Royal Navy recruiting officer;
	(2)  what steps have been taken to ensure that anyone under 18 whose data were on the laptop recently stolen from a Royal Navy recruiting officer are protected from harm by child protection measures.

Des Browne: holding answer 24 January 2008
	The Department takes very seriously any loss of personal data. My statement on 21 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 1225-27 informed the House of the package of measures, reviews and investigations completed or under way to safeguard information held by the Ministry of Defence. Such measures are supplementary to the existing policies and procedures.
	As I explained in the House on 21 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1235 the loss was a matter for my Department and the UK Government and that if any issue required the involvement of the devolved Administrations they would be told.
	In addition, the Department has taken action to assist all those, wherever they live, whose personal data may have been compromised. This includes verification of identity and careful scrutiny to protect personal data from unauthorised access or unlawful processing, including providing banks with the account details (where they were held) in order that the banks can monitor accounts for unauthorised activity. Officials are also in contact with the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue and Customs, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, the Identity and Passport Service and the Border and Immigration Agency. These measures are designed to protect the personal data of all individuals including those aged under 18. The individuals whom the Department has contacted have also been warned to be vigilant concerning unexpected contacts.

Nuclear Weapons: Materials

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Atomic Weapons Establishment has received information from the US on a special material known in the US as Fogbank; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: I am withholding the information requested as its release would, or would be likely to, prejudice national security.

RAF Halton: Complaints

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the written answer of 7 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2850W, on RAF Halton: complaints, how many individuals lodged complaints in each year from 2003 to 2007; and from how many different addresses such complaints originated in each such year.

Derek Twigg: Data are not held centrally on the number of individuals who have lodged complaints with the Ministry of Defence or Headquarters Air Command known as(Headquarters Personnel and Training Command before April 2007) regarding flying activity at RAF Halton and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Details of the number of individuals who have made complaints or inquiries regarding flying activity directly to RAF Halton are more readily available and can be found in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of complaints received by RAF Halton regarding flying activity in each year  Number of individual complainants 
			 2003 30 25 
			 2004 133 55 
			 2005 112 62 
			 2006 17 13 
			 2007 38 19

Treaty of Lisbon

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what obligations in international law on the UK will be created by  (a) Article 11(3) and  (b) Title V of the Treaty of Lisbon; and how they will be enforced.

Jim Murphy: I have been asked to reply.
	The duty of loyal co-operation as described in Article 11(3) (Article 24(3)) in the consolidated version of the treaties (as amended by Lisbon) is not new. It was introduced by the Maastricht treaty and it has not prevented the UK from pursuing its own foreign policy when required to. The language is identical to that currently used in Article 11(2) of the EU treaty with the addition of the phrase that member states shall comply with the Union's action in this area. The latter is a statement of the obvious point that whenand only whenmember states decide on Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) action they must abide by what they agreea point which is already reflected in current EU treaty provisions on the CFSP.
	Title V of the treaty of Lisbon sets out the general provisions on the Union's external action and specific provisions on the CFSP. The CFSP will remain intergovernmental: when EU members all agree, we act together, but where we do not, the UK acts independently.
	The European Court of Justice will not have jurisdiction over the CFSP, except for those limited areas set out in the answer I gave to the hon. Member today (UIN 191936). And the Commission will not be able to commence infraction proceedings against member states under Title V.

UK Atomic Energy Authority: Industrial Health and Safety

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions his Department has held with the Health and Safety Executive on the reporting of abnormal incidents at Atomic Energy Authority sites at  (a) Aldermaston and  (b) Burghfield.

Des Browne: The Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) sites at Aldermaston and Burghfield are owned by the MOD. The nuclear site licensee is AWE plc, which manages these sites under Government Owned/Contractor Operated arrangements. Safety is paramount to all stakeholders. MOD officials maintain a continuous dialogue with AWE plc and the external regulator, the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, which is part of the Health and Safety Executive. This dialogue covers all AWE regulatory matters, including the reporting of abnormal incidents.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will reply to the question tabled on 4 February 2008 by the hon. Member for Eddisbury on Wikipedia (185529).

Derek Twigg: I replied to the hon. Member today.

WALES

Brofiscin Quarry: Hazardous Substances

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether his Department has received  (a) evidence of and  (b) representations about (i) cattle dying, (ii) deformed cattle foetuses and (iii) ill health of local residents related to toxic landfill at Brofiscin Quarry.

Paul Murphy: This matter is within the devolved responsibility of the Welsh Assembly government. However, I understand, in the course of its investigations at Brofiscin Quarry under part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Environment Agency has collected and received a significant amount of information about the site. This has included information relating to cattle mortality and deformed cattle foetuses reported in the vicinity of the site in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
	The Environment Agency has received correspondence from a local resident about potential ill health effects related to Brofiscin Quarry. It is the responsibility of the Rhondda Cynon Taf county borough council to investigate and respond to public health related matters.

Brofiscin Quarry: Hazardous Substances

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the quantity of each contaminant in Brofiscin Quarry.

Paul Murphy: This matter is within the devolved responsibility of the Welsh Assembly government. However, I understand, the Environment Agency has not made an estimate of the quantity of each contaminant present at Brofiscin Quarry. The contaminants present at the site were deposited in the late 1960s and originated from several different sources. The area of the site which has been determined under part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (approx 1.26 hectares) contains an estimated 72,000m(3) (assuming an average thickness of 5.7m) of mixed waste products.

Brofiscin Quarry: Hazardous Substances

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date  (a) his Department was made aware of the illegal dumping of toxic waste at Brofiscin Quarry,  (b) the Environment Agency began their investigations,  (c) Monsanto provided details to his Department of the substances they placed in the quarry,  (d) details of contaminants were provided by Gwnwg Gowan and  (e) his Department was made aware of the research conducted by ICI laboratories in Brixham, Guelph University (Canada) and the National Water Quality Laboratory in Duluth; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Murphy: (a) All records relating to the former Welsh Office on this issue have been transferred to the Welsh Assembly government. However, I understand that the Welsh Office was aware of the contamination in 1975 from a report prepared by the Water Pollution Research Laboratory on behalf of the then Department for the Environment.
	 (b) In March 2005 the Environment Agency began its investigations of Brofiscin Quarry pursuant to the provisions of part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 following designation of the site under the Act as a 'special site' by Rhondda Cynon Taf county borough council. The Environment Agency has been involved in site investigations at Brofiscin Quarry since 2001.
	 (c) The Environment Agency has, in the course of its inquiries, contacted many individuals and companies. Monsanto has, at various stages in the investigation, provided the Environment Agency with information relating to its involvement with the site.
	 (d) and  (e) Mr. Douglas Gowan has provided the Environment Agency with a significant amount of information on a wide range of issues relating to Brofiscin Quarry since early 2006. This has included details of contaminants and research laboratories.

Citizenship

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the likely effects of implementation of the recommendations in Lord Goldsmith's report on Citizenship: Our Common Bond, on Wales.

Paul Murphy: The Government welcomes Lord Goldsmith's Review of Citizenship and its contribution to the current debate about modernising our constitution to reflect the world as it is now.
	This is an important step towards clarifying the legal and social rights and responsibilities that come with British Citizenship. While we may not agree with everything in the report, there is much here which is interesting.
	It is too early to say what implications this review could have for Wales.

Departmental Official Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the cost was of overnight accommodation for  (a) civil servants,  (b) special advisers and (c) Ministers in his Department staying overnight in (i) mainland Great Britain, (ii) Northern Ireland, (iii) the Republic of Ireland and (iv) other countries in the last 12 months.

Paul Murphy: The cost to my Department, of overnight accommodation, for the last 12 months is:
	 Civil servants
	Mainland GB: 23,266.50
	Republic of Ireland: 167.72
	Other countries: 732
	 Special advisers
	Mainland GB: 1,567
	Republic of Ireland: 83.86
	 Ministers
	Mainland GB: 1,298.74
	Republic of Ireland: 83.86

Departmental Pensions

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and what percentage of staff in his Department were making additional voluntary contributions to their pensions in each of the last two years.

Paul Murphy: No Wales Office staff are making additional voluntary contributions to their pensions, but a small number of staff are buying added years through deductions from pay.

Discrimination

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many claims for discrimination, based on  (a) sex,  (b) race and  (c) sexual orientation, were brought by members of his Department and settled (i) in and (ii) out of court in each of the last five years.

Paul Murphy: None.

Ipsos MORI

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what payments his Department has made to Ipsos MORI in the last 24 months; and for what purposes.

Paul Murphy: None.

Local Government

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent assessment he has made of the arrangements for the distribution of powers between the National Assembly for Wales and Welsh local authorities.

Paul Murphy: The Wales Office was fully involved in discussions with the Welsh Assembly Government during the passage of the Local Government Bill in the last session. Ongoing discussions take place both at official and ministerial level and Wales Office Ministers meet regularly with both the Assembly Minister for Social Justice and Local Government, Dr. Brian Gibbons AM and the Welsh Local Government Association.

OLYMPICS

Ministers: Visits

David Evennett: To ask the Minister for the Olympics which constituencies she has visited in Greater London since her appointment as Minister for London; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr. Dhanda) to the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington (Tom Brake) on 6 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2781W. Since that answer, visits or meetings have also taken place in the constituencies of Croydon, Central and Twickenham.

Olympic Games 2012

Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Olympics whether she has set baselines or targets in order to assess the legacy effect the 2012 Games will have on  (a) sporting participation,  (b) regeneration,  (c) tourism and  (d) business in the UK; and how she plans to measure those effects.

Tessa Jowell: Work is taking place to develop the baseline and targets for the indicators in both Public Service Agreement 22 (Deliver a successful Olympic Games and Paralympic Games with a sustainable legacy and get more children and young people taking part in high quality PE and sport), and the Legacy Action Plan.
	The forthcoming Legacy Action Plan will provide more information on our ambition for the legacy effect the 2012 games including the effects on sports participation, regeneration, tourism and business in the UK, and the programmes that will deliver those benefits.
	An evaluation framework is being developed to ensure that the legacy effects of the games can be measured in a coherent and co-ordinated manner.

Olympic Games 2012

Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what studies she has  (a) commissioned and  (b) plans to commission to assess the legacy effects of the 2012 Olympic Games on (i) sporting participation, (ii) regeneration, (iii) tourism and (iv) business in the UK.

Tessa Jowell: Prior to London winning the bid, a number of studies were commissioned to provide a range of independent opinions and to aid the development of Government policy in ensuring a UK legacy. These preliminary studies include the Olympic Games Impact Study produced by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Arup study.
	In June 2007, we published our Legacy Promises, which include commitments on sporting participation, regeneration, tourism and business. Since then, we have conducted quantitative and qualitative research to test our legacy plans, and consulted stakeholders widely, including the nations and regions and other Departments. The policies worked up following this will be published shortly in the Legacy Action Plan.
	An evaluation framework is being developed to ensure that the legacy effects of the games in all key areas are captured and measured effectively.

Olympic Games 2012: Young People

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics whether the London Youth Games will be able to use the Olympic facilities during their testing phase; and what provision has been made for the London Youth Games in the Olympics legacy.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 14 March 2008
	 LOCOG has not yet considered which events will be staged at the Olympic Park for the programme of test events leading up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games.
	The Olympic Stakeholders are committed to long-term elite and community use for the Olympic Park facilities after the 2012 games. I understand the London Development Agency, as the interim client for the site, are considering how events such as the London Youth Games can be factored into future legacy plans.

Regeneration: Greater London

Ann Coffey: To ask the Minister for the Olympics if she will allocate funding to regenerate street and covered markets in the East End of London as part of the hosting of the 2012 Olympic Games.

Tessa Jowell: Street and covered markets play an important part in promoting strong and vibrant communities, diversity, regeneration, and entrepreneurship in their local areas.
	While there are no specific plans to allocate Olympic funding to the regeneration of street and covered markets, the Olympic programme, by its very nature, will contribute to the wider regeneration of the East End of London. I am confident that street and covered markets such as those of Spitafields, Stratford, and Walthamstow, and other such markets held in the five host boroughs, will benefit from the general uplift that regeneration will bring.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Africa: Overseas Aid

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what UK bilateral aid programmes are in operation in  (a) Algeria,  (b) Egypt,  (c) Madagascar,  (d) Malawi and  (e) Mali; and what the (i) duration and (ii) cost of each is.

Gillian Merron: Of the countries listed, the Department for International Development (DFID) only has a bilateral programme in Malawi. Details of DFID's spending plans for 2007-08 were published in the Departmental Annual Report 2007 which can be found at:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/departmental-report/2007/default.asp#contents

Chad: Overseas Aid

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 22 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1091W, on Chad: overseas aid, what the objectives are of his Department's review of funding commitments; and when the review is expected to be completed.

Gillian Merron: The review of funding commitments was carried out in the wake of the attack on N'Djamena. The objective of the review was to allow the UK Government to respond appropriately to the humanitarian needs arising from the upsurge in fighting, and to develop a plan for humanitarian programming in Chad for the coming financial year. As part of the review, the Department for International Development (DFID) examined the scale of need, the effectiveness of implementing partners, coverage of the affected populations, and the focus of other donors.
	Following completion of the review, DFID has committed an additional 500,000 to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to address new humanitarian need. This takes the total bilateral UK commitment to Chad to 7 million this financial year.

Civil Service Appeal Board

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many and what percentage of appeals by employees of  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies were (i) heard and (ii) upheld by the Civil Service Appeal Board in each of the last 10 years; how much was awarded in compensation by the Board to each successful appellant in each year; what the reason was for each compensation award; how many appellants were reinstated by the Board in each year; and what the reason was for each (A) dismissal and (B) reinstatement.

Gillian Merron: Six DFID employees have raised appeals to the Civil Service Appeals Board in the last 10 years as set out in the following table. DFID has no agencies which employ staff.
	
		
			   Reason for dismissal  Number of dismissals  Appeals upheld  Compensation  Re-instatements 
			 2003 All on grounds of capability 4 0 0 0 
			 2006 Gross misconduct 1 0 0 0 
			 2008 Gross misconduct 1 0 0 0

Departmental Official Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost was of overnight accommodation for  (a) civil servants,  (b) special advisers and  (c) Ministers in his Department staying overnight in (i) mainland Great Britain, (ii) Northern Ireland, (iii) the Republic of Ireland and (iv) other countries in the last 12 months.

Shahid Malik: It is not possible to disaggregate costs in respect of hotel accommodation without incurring a disproportionate cost. Figures are available for subsistence costs for the Department for International Development (DFID), which reflect all domestic and overseas travel for Ministers, advisers and officials and include costs for all travel, accommodation and subsistence. The cost for the last 12 months was 10,870,388.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether consideration has been given to applying gender responsive budgeting to his Department's budget.

Shahid Malik: The UK Government are supportive of efforts to achieve gender equality and continues to work very closely with both the Women's National Commission and the Women's Budget Group on promoting gender equality within the UK. In 2004, HM Treasury undertook a pilot project on gender analysis of expenditure with the Women's Budget Group. The project demonstrated the value of gender analysis in some areas and identified what tools and expertise were necessary within government to carry out gender analysis, but that further work was needed before gender responsive budgeting could be implemented. In 2008, HM Treasury will be conducting further work that will determine whether it is prudent and feasible to disaggregate Departmental expenditure statistics by gender.
	A Gender Equality Action Plan, launched in March 2007, set out how we will strengthen our focus and impact on gender equality across all our work. Gender equality issues are reflected as a target within DFID's first Departmental Strategic Objective for 2008-11. Department for International Development (DFID) resources are allocated in line with our departmental strategic priorities.

Departmental Sick Leave

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of working days lost by his Department's staff was attributed to stress-related conditions in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Gillian Merron: For the calendar year 2007, 6.7 per cent. of total working days lost to sick absence were related to stress or stress related conditions.

HIV Infection: Drugs

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking on flexibilities in the World Trade Organisation's Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement to deliver affordable generic medicines for the treatment of HIV/AIDS.

Gillian Merron: The UK Government support the right of developing countries to utilise flexibilities in the World Trade Organization's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), and in particular to facilitate access to cheaper medicines, including for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. This includes the right to produce, export or import generic medicines under a compulsory licence.
	The Department for International Development has also financed a number of organisations including the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) to provide support to developing countries to make better use of their TRIPS flexibilities, including compulsory licensing.

HIV Infection: Drugs

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made by his Department towards meeting the G8 commitment to universal access to treatment for HIV and AIDS by 2010; and what funds his Department has allocated to furthering progress in the next two years.

Gillian Merron: By the end of 2006, more than 2 million people in developing countries were taking anti-retroviral treatmentup from 100,000 in 2001. Progress towards universal access will be assessed during 2008 at the high level meeting on AIDS.
	The UK remains fully committed to ensuring universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support and is the second largest Government funder of AIDS-related assistance in the world. Last September the UK made an unprecedented long-term commitment to provide up to 1 billion to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) up to 2015.

Kenya: Overseas Aid

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what  (a) development and  (b) humanitarian aid to Kenya his Department (i) provided in each of the last five years and (ii) has provided since the elections.

Gillian Merron: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			million 
			  Development aid  
			 2003-04 25.3 
			 2004-05 29.9 
			 2005-06 45.5 
			 2006-07 52 
			 2007-08 50 
			   
			  Humanitarian aid  
			 2003-04 0.229 
			 2004-05 5.517 
			 2005-06 16.577 
			 2006-07 13.240 
			 2007-08 (1)5.7 
			 (1) Of which 2.226 since elections. 
		
	
	Since the election crisis the Department for International Development (DFID) has made no payments to the Kenyan Government. DFID has provided over 2 million of humanitarian assistance and 3 million of development aid to organisations such as Red Cross and Medecins Sans Frontieres Belgium.
	DFID Kenya's programme continues to be under review.

Mothers: HIV Infection

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps the Government has taken to encourage developing countries to assist mothers in protecting their babies from the impact of HIV.

Gillian Merron: holding answer 11 March 2008
	The UK Government are working to strengthen health systems to ensure that women in poor countries have access to high quality ante natal, maternity and family planning services, so that they can protect their babies from the impact of HIV.
	In developing countries there are significant gaps in the provision of these services and the UK Government are working to ensure that women in poor countries have the same choices as those in the developed world.
	The International Health Partnership, which was launched by the Prime Minister in September 2007, will help to ensure that donor resources are better co-ordinated, that they back strong national health development plans and that they focus on strengthening the health systems to deliver better services.

Mozambique: Overseas Aid

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid his Department has provided to Mozambique in the last 12 months.

Gillian Merron: The Department for International Development provided 56.3 million of bilateral assistance to Mozambique in 2006-07. Figures for 2007-08 will be available in June 2008.
	The UK's imputed share of multilateral official development assistance to Mozambique in 2005 (the latest year for which figures are available) was 31.6 million.

Namibia: Floods

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department has offered to the government of Namibia following the floods in northern and central regions of that country.

Gillian Merron: The UK Government will be providing assistance to the government of Namibia's flood relief efforts through a contribution of 50,000 to the Red Cross. The money will be spent on first aid, replacement household items and the provision of clean water for about 24,000 of the most affected people.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the humanitarian impact of the fighting in Darfur in the last 12 months; what assessment his Department has made of the effects of the operations in the Jabel Moun area in Darfur by the Sudanese army in February 2008 on the delivery of humanitarian aid; what discussions  (a) he and  (b) his officials have had with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on diplomatic steps to resolve the humanitarian situation in Darfur; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: About 380,000 people have been displaced in Darfur since January 2007, and numbers are still rising. As a result humanitarian indicators, such as malnutrition, are starting to rise above emergency thresholds for the first time since 2004. Due to ongoing fighting, humanitarian agencies are still unable to access the Jebel Moun area.
	The Prime Minister has made it clear that Darfur is a high priority for the UK. On 27 February my right hon. Friends, the Foreign and International Development Secretaries, made a joint statement that called on all parties to stop the violence; to allow immediate humanitarian access; to protect civilians; and to facilitate the deployment of UNAMID.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) continue to work together to resolve the humanitarian situation in Darfur and the UK Government are the second largest bilateral donor to Sudan.

Sudan: Overseas Aid

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effects of banditry on the delivery of the World Food Programme supplies to internally displaced persons in Darfur; what estimate he has made of the proportion of food aid earmarked for internally displaced people in Darfur which reached the intended destination in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: All humanitarian agencies operating in Darfur have been affected by insecurity, with implications for staff safety and aid delivery. The World Food Programme (WFP), because of its size and logistical complexity, has been particularly hard hit, with 37 food trucks hijacked since the start of the year and 23 drivers still missing. In January 2008, the last month for which data are available, WFP was unable to reach 133,000 people in Darfur, of their total target of 2 million. As a result of WFP's and other agencies' lack of access to vulnerable populations, malnutrition rates are already climbing over the emergency threshold for the first time since 2004.

UN Convention on Watercourses

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development for what reasons the Government have not signed the UN Convention on Watercourses; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) has undertaken an analysis of the development benefits of UK accession to the UN Convention on the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses. DFID has also discussed this with other bilateral agencies and specialist water agencies, and sought views from other Government Departments to reach a joint conclusion. On the basis of the evidence available, the development benefits identified have not been shown to be significant. After 10 years only 16 countries have ratified or acceded to the convention. With 35 countries required there is little immediate prospect of it entering into force.
	DFID recognises that the existence of the convention is helpful and its principles have been applied. DFID provides support to regional water initiatives in South Asia, the Nile Basin and the Middle East and is considering support in other shared waters. In none of the cases where we provide support is accession to the convention considered necessary.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Departmental Dismissal

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people who worked for each of his Department's agencies have been dismissed for gross incompetence since each agency was established.

Anne McGuire: The information is not available in the format requested.
	The Department, and its Agencies, do not have a category of gross incompetence as a measure of performance of employees. However, there is a category of unsatisfactory work.
	The Department introduced a new personnel computer system incrementally from November 2006, being fully implemented by April 2007.
	The information provided in the table reflects data recorded on that system for the number of staff dismissed because of unsatisfactory work performance. Information is not available from this system prior to April 2007.
	
		
			  Dismissal reason unsatisfactory work performanceApril to December 2007 
			  Agency  Number 
			 Child Support Agency 0 
			 The Pension Service 3 
			 Jobcentre Plus 5 
			 Disability and Carers Service 0 
			 Corporate Centre 1 
			 Total 9

Departmental Manpower

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consultations his Department held with the Public and Commercial Services Union before the announcement of the proposal to reduce its staffing levels by 12,000 in the next three years; what assessment he has made of the effect of the reductions on his Department's delivery of services; and how many of the proposed job losses will be in the North East.

Anne McGuire: The Department gave a full briefing to its Trade Unions prior to publication of its Three Year Business Plan 2008-2011, which covered the planned reduction in our workforce over the 2007 Spending Review period.
	The Department's Three Year Business Plan 2008-2011, which was published on 28 February, also sets out the Department's assessment of how it intends to improve the service it offers customers over this period, in particular by further focusing its services on customer need. Detailed business-level planning is currently being undertaken, and at this stage it is too early to provide regional workforce plans.
	Copies of the Plan have been placed in the Library of the House, or can be viewed electronically at the following address:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/dwp/2008/3yrplan/

Departmental Older Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people over the age of 55 have been recruited by his Department in each of the last three years.

Anne McGuire: Information on the number of people over the age of 55 who have been recruited by the Department in each of the last three years is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Year ending 31 March:  Number of recruits over age 55 
			 2005 435 
			 2006 469 
			 2007 446

Departmental Property

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what property has been lost or stolen from his Department since 1997; and what the cost of replacement was.

Anne McGuire: The Department was created in May/June 2001. In the period since 2002-03 property to a total value of 178,000 has been recorded as lost or stolen in the Department's fixed asset register. Information is not available on the cost of replacement.

Incapacity Benefit

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his target to reduce incapacity benefit claimants by one million by 2016 is based on a projected 2016 claimant count of one million fewer people than the comparable figure in 2006.

Anne McGuire: The Welfare Reform Green Paper A new deal for welfare: Empowering people to work announced our aspiration to reduce the case load by one million over a decade. This will be measured against the case load in May 2005which stood at 2.74 million. Our goal is deliberately a stretching one and was not set on the basis that we knew it would be achieved, but to support the delivery of real change over the coming years.
	We have not produced a complete assessment of the expected claimant count in May 2015. Although we make projections of the case load as part of long-term planning around public finances, we are not able to fully include the impact of new or planned policies where evidence is limited. For example, the projections for incapacity benefits include estimates of the impact of the roll-out of Pathways to Work but not detailed impacts of the introduction of employment and support allowance.

Income Support: Lone Parents

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many families claiming income support comprised lone parents who were  (a) divorced,  (b) separated and  (c) never married in each year since 1992.

Stephen Timms: The information is not available. Data held on income support claims indicate whether a claimant is single or has a partner but not whether they are divorced, separated or never married.

Income Support: Lone Parents

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the average number was of children in lone parent families claiming income support in each year since 1992;
	(2)  what the average number was of children in a lone parent family making an initial claim for income support in each year since 1992.

Stephen Timms: Information on people making a claim for income support, initial or subsequent, is not available. People can make a claim but may not be eligible, or may not pursue their claim and records are not kept on the number of claims people make.
	As a consequence information on the average number of children in lone parent families making a claim for income support is also not available.
	Available information on the average number of children in lone parent families who are in receipt of income support is in the following table.
	
		
			  Average number of children in lone parent families in receipt of income support 
			  Quarter ending  Average number 
			 May 1995 1.82 
			 May 1996 1.84 
			 May 1997 1.85 
			 May 1998 1.86 
			 May 1999 1.87 
			 May 2000 1.89 
			 May 2001 1.89 
			 May 2002 1.89 
			 May 2003 1.89 
			 May 2004 1.89 
			 May 2005 1.88 
			 May 2006 1.87 
			 May 2007 1.86 
			  Notes:  1. Data are only available from May 1995 and by quarter rather than on an annual basis.  2. Data for May 1995 to May 1999 inclusive are based on a 5 per cent. sample and subject to a degree of sampling variation. Data after May 1999 are based on a 100 per cent. sample.  3. Data are for lone parents with dependant children aged under 16.   Source:  DWP Information Directorate 5 per cent. sample and 100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

New Deal for Disabled People: Dorset

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what arrangements are in place for the replacement of the new deal for disabled people in Dorset after 29 April.

Stephen Timms: New deal for disabled people (NDDP) will be extended until June 2008 with existing providers in all Jobcentre Plus Pathways districts, including those in the Jobcentre Plus Dorset and Somerset district. A tendering exercise to award NDDP contracts in the same districts has been carried out and preferred bidders have been notified. We expect to announce the successful bidders by 30 May 2008. Contracts are due to commence from June 2008 for a period of two years. I welcome the hon. Member's support for this important service.

Pension Funds

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimate is of the average longevity assumption used by final salary pension schemes operating in the UK.

Mike O'Brien: Information on which to base a reliable estimate of the average assumptions relating to longevity used in actuarial valuations of final salary pension schemes is not available. Some limited information about the assumptions used is available from the regulator's analysis of the first tranche of 1,292 scheme funding recovery plans, which was published on 26 September 2007. The assumptions about life expectancy at age 65 used in the majority of these recovery plans was 21.9 years for men and 24.8 years for women. This information only relates to schemes where a valuation was completed between September 2005 and April 2006, however, and is not a reliable indicator of the position for all schemes, or of the current behaviour of trustees in choosing assumptions about longevity now. It is not for the Government to tell trustees what assumptions to make on longevity.
	On 18 February the pensions regulator published a consultation document inviting views on proposed new guidance for trustees on choosing the assumptions about longevity to be used in actuarial valuations of their scheme. The document reflects emerging evidence which suggests to the regulator that past allowances for future improvements in life expectancy have not always been adequately taken into account, and the consultation period will last until 12 May.

Pension Service: Complaints

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints  (a) his Department,  (b) the Pensions Service,  (c) Jobcentre Plus,  (d) the Disability and Carers Service,  (e) the Health and Safety Commission and Executive,  (f) the Child Support Agency,  (g) the Rent Service and  (h) the Debt Management Service received in each of the last 10 years.

Anne McGuire: Centrally, the Department for Work and Pensions does not separately identify complaints from other forms of correspondence. Each of the Department's agencies and customer facing units has its own complaint handling procedures. The available information for each agency is in the tables.
	The information is not indicative of the number of individual complaints as each piece of correspondence, or where appropriate, telephone call, is recorded separately.
	The Pension Service was formed in April 2002.
	
		
			  Complaints received by the Pension Service 
			   Number 
			 2002-03 6,558 
			 2003-04 38,957 
			 2004-05 28,700 
			 2005-06 29,139 
			 2006-07 20,176 
			 2007-08 (to January 2008) 11,817 
		
	
	Jobcentre Plus was formed in April 2002.
	
		
			  Complaints received by Jobcentre Plus 
			   Number 
			 2004-05 34,430 
			 2005-06 33,350 
			 2006-07 43,214 
			 2007-08 (to December 2007) 33,790 
		
	
	The Disability and Carers Service was first formed in 2002 as the Disability and Carers Division; it became an agency in November 2004.
	
		
			  Complaints received by Disability and Carers Service 
			   Number 
			 January 2002 to March 2002 (1)2,240 
			 April 2002 to March 2003 (1)7,517 
			 April 2003 to March 2004 (2)9,471 
			 April 2004 to March 2005 (2)11,111 
			 April 2005 to March 2006 (2)6,732 
			 April 2006 to March 2007 (3)7,208 
			 April 2007 to December 2007 (4)2,268 
			 (1) Total is customer complaints only. (2) Total is of customer complaints, MP complaints and inquiries, and public inquiries to senior officials. (3) Total is customer complaints, MP complaints or inquiries, and public inquiries to senior officials to December 2006. From January 2007, only customer and MP complaints are included. (4) Total is customer and MP complaints only. 
		
	
	The Health and Safety Commission and Executive does not maintain central records of complaints about the organisation
	The Child Support Agency was formed in 1993 as an Executive agency of the Department of Social Security; it became an Executive agency of the Department for Work and Pensions in June 2001.
	
		
			  Complaints received by Child Support Agency 
			   1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Stage 1 complaints received (written)(1) 27,875 28,073 21,015 19,634 15,493 15,182 24,809 29,213 27,344 21,719 
			 Stage 1 Complaints received (telephone)(1) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (3) 7,458 10,570 10,660 7,560 
			 Chief Executive Complaints (4) (4) (4) 4,096 4,555 7,096 (5) (6) 5,887 3,769 
			 Treat Official Complaints(7) (4) (4) (4) 2,609 2,869 1,344 1,521 1,108 1,278 998 
			 MP Complaints (4) (4) (4) 4,175 4,818 4,537 5,317 8,871 9,729 9,151 
			 (1) Changes to how the Agency recorded stage 1 complaints over the years means that comparisons of the number of complaints received are not easily made. The Agency initially operated a two-tier complaints process to deal with escalated complaints. A third tier was introduced in 2003, see notes (5) and (6). In the year ending March 2006, 7,167 stage 1 complaints required escalation to resolve and 4,673 in year ending March 2007. (2) While the Agency did receive stage 1 telephone complaints prior to 2002-03, their volumes were not recorded. (3) Although 671 stage 1 telephone complaints were recorded between December 2002 and March 2003, their volumes were not recorded throughout the whole year, thus preventing meaningful comparison with later years. (4) While the Agency did receive complaints directly to the chief executive, treat official complaints, and MP complaints to business units prior to 2000-01, their volumes were not recorded. (5) During 2003-04, complaints sent directly to the chief executive were not recorded separately from those complaints that were escalated to him as part of the three-stage process. Therefore, although 7,183 complaints in total were received during 2003-04, it is not possible to separate out those complaints received by the chief executive directly (as opposed to those escalated via the complaints process), thus preventing meaningful comparison with data for earlier years. (6) In April and May of 2004, the chief executive received a total of 1,435 complaints, however, is not possible to separate out those complaints received by the chief executive directly, as opposed to those escalated to stage 3 of the complaints process. From June 2004 to March 2005, after which time such complaints were recorded separately, the chief executive received 4,393 direct complaints and 2,549 complaints escalated upwards from stage 2. Again, these recording issues prevent meaningful comparison of this category with earlier years. (7) Treat official letters are those received by a Minister from a member of the public, and referred for initial consideration to an official of the agency. 
		
	
	The Rent Service was formed in October 1999 as an Executive agency of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister; the Rent Service became an Executive agency of the Department for Work and Pensions in June 2001.
	
		
			  Complaints received by the Rent Service 
			   Number 
			 October 1999 to March 2000 0 
			 April 2000 to March 2001 0 
			 April 2001 to March 2002 0 
			 April 2002 to March 2003 40 
			 April 2003 to March 2004 59 
			 April 2004 to March 2005 22 
			 April 2005 to March 2006 45 
			 April 2006 to March 2007 90 
			 April 2007 to December 2007 63 
		
	
	The Department's Debt Management organisation was established in 2001 and became fully operational in February 2006. Information is not available from Debt Management prior to July 2005.
	
		
			  Complaints received by Debt Management 
			   Number of complaints dealt with during initial phone call( 1)  Written complaints cleared  Written complaints received 
			 July 2005 to March 2006 n/a 1,639 n/a 
			 April 2006 to March 2007 2,827 2,936 n/a 
			 April 2007 to December 2007 1,449 1,847 1,796 
			 (1) The number cleared by phone relate to verbal complaints that were dealt with in the first instance by telephone and where the customer was completely satisfied with the outcome of the telephone call.

Pensioners: Income

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the average annual income of a pensioner household in  (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford and  (b) London in the last period for which figures are available.

Mike O'Brien: Information on pensioner incomes cannot be provided at a lower level than Government office region, averaged over three years. Latest information, based on the Family Resources Survey, relates to 2003-04 to 2005-06. This shows that the average annual net income before housing costs for all pensioner units in London was 15,800 in 2005-06 prices.
	A pensioner unit is either a single person over state pension age (SPA) or a couple where at least one member is over SPA.

Pensioners: Poverty

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners in  (a) Eastbourne constituency,  (b) East Sussex and  (c) the UK falling below the poverty threshold in (i) 2010, (ii) 2012 and (iii) 2014.

Mike O'Brien: Poverty is a complex and multidimensional issue and, as such, there are many possible measures of poverty.
	As no single measure captures all aspects of poverty, the new public service agreement Tackle poverty and promote greater independence and wellbeing in later life includes a range of indicators related to low income for pensioners. These are: the percentage of pensioners below 60 per cent. contemporary median income, 50 per cent. median income and 60 per cent. of 1998-99 median income uprated in line with prices, all measured after housing costs.
	Specific information regarding low income for the United Kingdom is available in Households Below Average Income 1994-95 to 2005-06 (Revised). The data source does not allow us to provide robust numbers for estimates below the level of Government office region.
	The proportion of pensioners in low income in the UK and the south east has fallen substantially over the last 10 years. Any current projection of the number of pensioners in poverty in 2010, 2012 and 2014 would be subject to uncertainties around future income growth, changes in the income distribution and individual changes in behaviour in response to policy changes. The Government therefore do not publish forward projections.

Personal Accounts Delivery Authority

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of running the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority in each year until it is replaced by the Personal Accounts Board.

Mike O'Brien: The cost of running the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority in 2007-08 is expected to be 13.7 million. The Authority is currently reviewing its costs for 2008-09 and beyond in the light of its re-planning exercise and as part of the Department's budget-setting round.

Personal Care Services: Industrial Health and Safety

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Health and Safety Laboratory will publish its report on health issues for technicians employed in nail bars.

Anne McGuire: The research report, Health and Safety in Nailbars (CWH/07/05), has been cleared for open publication on the research publications area of the HSE website, and it is anticipated that the report will published on the site around the end of April.

Political Impartiality

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  for what purpose his Department records individuals' political opinions;
	(2)  whether his Department records the political opinions of  (a) staff and  (b) benefit recipients.

Anne McGuire: holding answers 10 and 15 January 2008
	Civil servants are required to act in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Code, and section 4.4 of the Civil Service Management Code. These cover involvement in political activities and may require records to be kept.
	The Department for Work and Pensions has no policies or practices which require benefit recipients' political opinions to be recorded. These will only feature in records where they have been voluntarily included by the individual in conducting their business with the Department and it is necessary for unrelated business reasons that the documents be retained.

Poverty: Children

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the Government's policy is on the elimination of child poverty by 2020;
	(2)  whether the Government have amended its target to reduce child poverty by half its 1999 level by 2010.

Stephen Timms: On 12 March 2008 the Government reaffirmed their commitment to halving child poverty by 2010 and eliminating it by 2020 with the publication of Ending child poverty: everybody's business.
	Ending child poverty: everybody's business sets out the Government's long-term strategy for achieving those targets and is available in the Library.

Television Screens

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many plasma television screens have been purchased by his Department and its agencies, and at what cost, in the last 24 months.

Anne McGuire: The following plasma TV screens have been purchased on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions:
	2006-07 FYthree x Plasma TVscosting 2,263.86
	2007-08 FYnine x Plasma TVscosting 4,724.66
	Information prior to 2006-07 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Unemployment: Dyspraxia

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support his Department provides for  (a) adults and  (b) graduates who are unemployed as a result of (i) dyspraxia and (ii) other neuro-divergent conditions.

Anne McGuire: Adults, including graduates, living with dyspraxia or other neuro-divergent conditions are able to make use of the mainstream job placing services provided by Jobcentre Plus. For those who cannot be helped by these mainstream services, however, Jobcentre Plus provides a range of specialist disability measures via disability employment advisers and incapacity benefit personal advisers.
	People with dyspraxia or other neuro-divergent conditions may make use of the Access to Work programme if they need help with the additional costs caused by their disability, or with travelling to work. They can also be helped by a support worker in a number of ways, for example as a job coach, mentor, advocate or counsellor.
	The WORKSTEP programme of supported employment can also provide tailored support to find, and retain, jobs for people with disabilities who face more complex barriers. WORKSTEP provides the opportunity for people to progress to open employment where this is the right option for the individual. Longer-term support continues to be available for those who need it.
	New deal for disabled people is a voluntary initiative offered to customers in receipt of a disability or health related benefit. A network of providers offers support and services to those on eligible benefits who want to enter work, with the aim of achieving lasting, paid employment. New deal for disabled people is available to customers across the full range of health conditions and disabilities, including those with dyspraxia or other neuro-divergent conditions.
	Our successful Pathways to Work programme, currently available in 40 per cent. of the country, helps people with a range of health conditions and disabilities. Pathways to Work is primarily aimed at new incapacity benefits customers, but is also available to existing benefit customers on a voluntary basis.
	People with dyspraxia or other neuro-divergent conditions may also be entitled to a wide range of other benefits.

Winter Fuel Payments

Martin Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will raise the level of winter fuel payments to take account of recent increases in energy prices.

Mike O'Brien: The winter fuel payment is worth 200 for households with someone aged 60 to 79 and 300 for households with someone aged 80 or over. It provides a significant contribution towards the cost of winter heating bills.
	Next winter, 2008-09, a one-off additional payment will be made. Households with someone aged 60 to 79 will receive an extra 50 giving them 250 and households with someone aged 80 or over will receive an extra 100 giving them 400.

Winter Fuel Payments: Hampshire

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on winter fuel payments in each local authority area in Hampshire in each of the last five years; how many payments were made in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The expenditure on winter fuel payments in each local authority area in Hampshire is in the following table.
	
		
			   million 
			  Local authorities in Hampshire  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Basingstoke and Deane 3.7 4.2 4.3 4.5 4.6 
			 East Hampshire 3.3 3.7 3.9 3.9 4.1 
			 Eastleigh 3.2 3.6 3.8 3.8 3.9 
			 Fareham 3.4 3.8 4.0 4.1 4.2 
			 Gosport 2.3 2.6 2.7 2.7 2.7 
			 Hart 2.1 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 
			 Havant 4.0 4.5 4.8 4.8 4.9 
			 New Forest 6.7 7.7 8.1 8.0 8.1 
			 Rushmoor 1.9 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.2 
			 Test Valley 3.1 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 
			 Winchester 3.3 3.8 4.0 4.0 4.1 
			 Total 37.1 42.2 43.9 44.3 45.4 
			  Notes: 1. Totals may not sum up due to founding. 2. Local authorities are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant postcode directory. 3. Winter fuel payments cannot be separated from age related payments at local authority level in 2004-05. Therefore for 2004-05 they have been estimated by assuming that the proportion of winter fuel payments expenditure falling to each local authority in Great Britain is the same as the proportion for winter fuel payments and age related payments expenditure combined.

Winter Fuel Payments: Lancashire

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency receive the winter fuel payment.

Mike O'Brien: In winter 2006-07, 22,070 people in the Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency received a winter fuel payment. We expect the number to be similar for winter 2007-08.
	 Notes
	1. Figures rounded to the nearest 10.
	2. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	 Source
	Information directorate 100 per cent. data

Working Age Population

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when Dame Carol Black will publish the report of her review of the health of the working age population.

Anne McGuire: Dame Carol and her Review Team are currently in the latter stages of analysing the evidence gathered and drafting the report. She is currently hoping to submit her report to Ministers later this month.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts: Pupils

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with the Department for Children, Schools and Families on improving access to the arts for school pupils; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 13 March 2008
	We are committed to working closely with the Department for Children, Schools and Families on improving access to the arts for school pupils.
	On 13 February 2008 we announced a 25 million Find Your Talent programme of 10 pilots that will trial ways of offering children and young people a range of high quality cultural experiences for five hours a week, in and out of school.
	We have published a prospectus seeking applications from partnerships in local areas around the country, setting out a core range of activities we believe young people should be able to engage with. We are looking for innovative bids that will test different ways of delivering a range of cultural opportunities over the next three years, including ways of ensuring all children are able to experience at least five hours. The pilots will give us the information we need to make decisions about rolling out the offer nationally.
	These pilots will build on the considerable amount of cultural activity already taking place in and out of school and the investment we put into this area. For example we recently announced that we will invest a further 110 million to expand the successful Creative Partnerships programme over the next three years so that it works with more than 2,000 schools per year.

Arts: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to improve access to the arts in Warrington.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 13 March 2008
	Government investment and support for the arts is primarily channelled through Arts Council England (ACE). Overall arts funding has increased in real terms by 73 per cent. since 1998 and in 2007-08 ACE received 412 million.
	ACE North West has allocated the following funding to arts organisations in Warrington in the past three years:
	
		
			   
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Individuals 3,000 4,988 4,290 
			 Managed funds 34,200 13,000 12,000 
			 Organisations 41,549 60,725 34,338 
			 Regularly funded organisations 29,213 29,948 0 
		
	
	ACE North West has contributed 12,000 to the local arts strategic fund (LASF) for 2007-08 and is working closely with Warrington borough council.

Culture

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many cultural events he has attended in his official capacity since taking office.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 13 March 2008
	Since taking office, I have attended 16 cultural events in an official capacity.

Culture: Education

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he plans to take with the Department for Children, Schools and Families to provide every child with five hours of culture a week.

Andy Burnham: We are committed to working closely with the Department for Children, Schools and Families on improving access to the arts for school pupils.
	On 13 February 2008 we jointly announced a Find Your Talent programme of 10 pilots that will trial ways of offering young people a range of cultural opportunities over five hours a week in and out of school. There is already much cultural activity taking place in and out of school and the pilots will build on this, to make sure all children and young people have the opportunity to take part in cultural activities.
	We have published a prospectus seeking applications from partnerships in local areas around the country, setting out a core range of activities we believe young people should be able to engage with. We are looking for innovative bids that will test different ways of delivering a range of cultural opportunities over the next three years, including ways of ensuring all children are able to experience at least five hours. The pilots will give us the information we need to make decisions about rolling out the offer nationally.
	The deadline for bids is 7 April 2008. Successful applicants will be notified in May and work will begin in September 2008.

Culture: Education

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether his Department will provide  (a) financial or  (b) organisational help to cultural institutions as part of the Government's policy of ensuring that every child experiences five hours of culture a week.

Andy Burnham: On 13 February 2008, we announced a 25 million Find Your Talent programme of 10 pilots that will trial ways of offering young people a range of cultural opportunities over five hours a week in and out of school.
	We have published a prospectus seeking applications from a wide range of partnerships. Each partnership, which needs to include all appropriate local cultural institutions, can apply for up to 2.5 million over three years. While we would expect the majority of money to be spent directly on new activity for young people, it can also be used for skills assessments, training and continued professional development for those in the cultural sector implementing delivery. It can also be used to subsidise entry fees to local cultural institutions.
	This programme builds on the Government's already considerable investment we provide to cultural institutions working in this area. This includes the support we give to enable free entry to national museums and the Creative Partnerships programme which will receive over 110 million over the next three years.

Sports: Facilities

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many delegations arranged by hon. Members he has met to discuss the provision of sports facilities since his appointment; and what the outcome of each such meeting was.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 12 March 2008
	 I have met one delegation arranged by an hon. Member to discuss sports facilities.

Sports: Facilities

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had on sports facilities in smaller local communities since his appointment.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 12 March 2008
	 I have had no formal discussions on sports facilities in smaller local communities.

Sports: Facilities

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will allocate resources to the inclusion of  (a) sporting and  (b) cultural facilities in the Orford Project; what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of such facilities to regeneration in Warrington; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 12 March 2008
	 Community Sports Hub projects, such as the one at Orford Park, have the potential to deliver a new, innovative approach to building sustainable community multi-sports facilities. I am aware that Sport England is currently considering a lottery application for this project.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Bankruptcy: Greater London

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 2221-2W, on bankruptcy: Greater London, when he expects figures for 2007 to be available on the same basis as earlier years.

Patrick McFadden: The following records the number of individual bankruptcy orders that have been declared in each London court in 2007. The High Court is the only court located in London with insolvency jurisdiction.
	
		
			  Number of individual bankruptcy orders made in the High Court, 2007 
			   High Court  London OR 
			 2007 5,360 4,030 
			  Notes: 1. Cases heard by the High Court are not restricted to those individuals resident or trading in the London area; they may include cases from across the country, most notably, where the petitioner is HMRC. 2. New case figures for the London Official Receivers region are also given for comparative purposes. These include cases assigned to the Public Interest Unit (PIU). They do not, however, include cases dealt with by Croydon Official Receiver, although the London Region officially has included Croydon OR from 2004-05. 3. After a bankruptcy order has been made it is possible that the case may subsequently be assigned to a different court, for various reasons. The High court figures 2007 reflect the court details recorded on an extract of the database taken in February 2008 and may, therefore, be subject to movements in both directions following the order date as far as High Court figures are concerned. 4. Individuals may also be assigned to a different official receivers office as the case progresses, perhaps because the bankrupt has moved or cases are re-allocated. The London Official Receivers' figures shown record the office assigned at the time the order was made.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether consideration has been given to applying gender responsive budgeting to his Department's budget.

Gareth Thomas: The UK Government are supportive of efforts to achieve gender equality and continue to work very closely with both the Women's National Commission and the Women's Budget Group on promoting gender equality within the UK.
	In 2004, HM Treasury undertook a pilot project on gender analysis of expenditure with the Women's Budget Group. The project demonstrated the value of gender analysis in some areas and identified what tools and expertise were necessary within Government to carry out gender analysis, but that further work was needed before gender responsive budgeting could be implemented.
	In 2008, HM Treasury will be conducting further work that will determine whether it is prudent and feasible to disaggregate departmental expenditure statistics by gender. Following these lines Departments can then highlight any specific initiatives they have been operating or funding which support the empowerment of women and promote gender equality.

Post Offices: Local Authorities

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if his Department will provide funding for local authorities to provide post office services where Post Office branches have been identified for closure.

Patrick McFadden: The Government have committed an annual subsidy of 150 million a year up to 2011 to support a sustainable post office network of around 11,500 outlets. To the extent that individual communities or local authorities wish to support additional provision above that level, that will be their financial responsibility.

Road Traffic: Lancashire

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions the North West Regional Development Agency has had with Lancashire county council on reducing traffic congestion in Lancaster and Morecambe.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 14 March 2008
	NWDA is party to ongoing discussions between Lancashire county council, Lancaster city council and Lancaster and Morecambe Vision Board about traffic congestion in the area. The focus is a recently completed Lancaster and Morecambe Access and Transport Strategy which has reviewed current transport issues and identified possible short, medium and long-term solutions.
	NWDA is also discussing with the county council and Lancaster city council specific traffic issues on the A6 south of Lancaster to Junction 33 of the M6. These discussions relate to proposals for development of the Lancaster Science Park adjacent to Lancaster university.

South East England Development Agency: Property

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 402W, on the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA): property, what the current ownership status is of the Ropetackle site in Shoreham-by-Sea; and how much revenue SEEDA received from the Enterprise Gateway Project at Ropetackle in Shoreham-by-Sea  (a) directly and  (b) through its agents in each of the last two years.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 14 March 2008
	SEEDA currently owns the freehold of the Ropetackle site in Shoreham-by-Sea.
	Enterprise Gateways are not generating a revenue income as they are a business service provided free of charge. We interpret the question therefore as relating to the Adur Business Centre which is located on this site.
	 (a) No revenue was received by SEEDA direct, as this is handled by SEEDA's managing agents.
	 (b) No net income has been received by SEEDA from the managing agents as running costs for the business centre to date have exceed net income. The centre has generated gross revenue of 102,685 in 2006-07 and 208,140 in 2007/-08, and is expected to yield net income from 2008-09 onwards.

Winter Fuel Allowance

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the average percentage of winter heating costs covered by the winter fuel allowance for those pensioners who use  (a) liquid petroleum gas and  (b) fuel heating oil to heat their homes in each year since 2002; and what estimate he has made of the average annual fuel costs of households using each such fuel.

Mike O'Brien: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested is not available.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Business

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what his Department's planned expenditure on business support, promotion of enterprise and economic development is for each year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; and which elements of this expenditure are planned to be funded through regional development agencies' single pot.

Bill Rammell: The DIUS contribution to RDA funding in 2007-08 is 44.5 million, and supplements the funding provided by the former DTI (now the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform), CLG and DEFRA. The DIUS contribution to the RDA single pot across the CSR07 years is shown as follows:
	
		
			million 
			 2008-09 43.416 
			 2009-10 66.359 
			 2010-11 65.328

Career Development Loans

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the value of outstanding career development loans is; how many banks provided such loans; and what the amount of  (a) connected contingent liabilities on the Government and  (b) calls on these liabilities was in each of the past five years.

Bill Rammell: The current value of live Career Development Loans (CDLs) is 74,692,443(1). Loans are offered by Barclays Bank, Royal Bank of Scotland and the Co-operative Bank.
	The loans are provided by banks, not by the Government. The Government do however provide support to individuals by paying interest on the loan while people are learning, and underwrites loans where individuals may be unable to repay when the loan becomes due to the bank. These costs are part of the normal operation of the CDLs programme and do not constitute a contingent liability.
	(1) At Friday 7 March 2008.

Departmental Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much has been paid by his Department in consultancy fees since its establishment.

Bill Rammell: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was created by machinery of government changes at the end of June 2007. Since its inception, the Department has operated a devolved procurement structure for consultancy contracts. There is no central register of contracts let and information on consultancy fees is not held separately for DIUS for prior years, therefore this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, year to date, the Department has spent 2,721,925 on consultancy.

Departmental Consultants

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what consultancy contracts his Department issued in each year since 2005; what the  (a) value,  (b) purpose and  (c) contractor was in each case; and whether the consultant's report is publicly available in each case.

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the  (a) objective and  (b) value was of each contract placed with (i) Deloitte and Touche, (ii) Ernst and Young, (iii) KPMG, (iv) PricewaterhouseCoopers and (v) PA Consulting by his Department, its predecessor Department and its agencies in each year since 2004-05.

Bill Rammell: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) was created as a result of machinery of government changes in June 2007. DIUS operates a devolved procurement structure for consultancy contracts. As such there is no central register of contracts let. Information on this type of expenditure is not held separately for DIUS for prior years therefore this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, year to date, the Department has spent 2,721,925 on consultancy.

Departmental Data Protection

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many confirmed data security breaches there have been in his Department in the last 36 months; and what action was taken after each occurrence.

Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Equality

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what conclusions his Department has reached in fulfilment of the duty under section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice of the disability equality duty.

Bill Rammell: As a result of the machinery of government changes announced on 29 June 2007, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) was established to lead work to deliver the Government's long-term vision to make Britain one of the best places in the world for science, research and innovation and to ensure that the UK has the skilled workforce it needs to compete in the global economy. It therefore became responsible for a number of the commitments and actions set out in the Disability Equality Schemes published by the former Department for Education and Skills and Department for Trade and Industry in December 2006.
	DIUS is currently developing a new Single Equality Scheme which will cover its approach and respond to its duties under the disability equality duty. An interim scheme will be published shortly, forming the basis for further public consultation. The final version of the scheme will be published later this year.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what percentage of Freedom of Information requests received by his Department have given rise to responses that have been published by his Department.

Bill Rammell: Of the 23 Freedom of Information requests received by the former DfES element of DIUS and the eight requests received by the former DTI element of DIUS, none of the responses met the triggers for publication in a Disclosure Log. Triggers include whether responses are likely to be of interest to the wider public.

Departmental Home Working

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people in his Department have been able to work from home in the last 12 months.

Bill Rammell: All staff, subject to line management agreement and the provision of relevant equipment are able to work from home. The Departmental strategy is to have a fully flexible working environment and there is guidance for staff about home working and other forms of flexible working. Almost all staff are equipped with laptops configured to access DIUS systems remotely. However, records are not maintained of the number of people working from home and a trawl to obtain details of all home working would involve disproportionate cost

Departmental ICT

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many of his Department's personal digital assistants were  (a) lost and  (b) stolen in each of the last five years; and what the value of those items was.

Bill Rammell: The information is as follows:
	 (a) Zero.
	 (b) Zero.

Departmental Impact Assessments

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many regulatory impact assessments his Department has conducted in the last 12 months.

Bill Rammell: Information on the final regulatory impact assessments published between 1 January and 30 June 2007 can be found in Command Paper 7297, available at:
	http://bre.berr.gov.uk/regulation/ria/regulatory_reporting/index.asp
	The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was created on 28 June 2007. Since then six impact assessments have been completed. This figure includes impact assessments conducted by the National Weights and Measures Laboratory and the Intellectual Property Office, as agencies of the Department.
	From April 2008, all final impact assessments will be published on a central website.

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much his Department and its predecessors paid in bonuses to press and communication officers in each of the last 10 years; and what the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest such bonus was in each of those years.

Bill Rammell: The Department was created as part of the machinery of government changes on 28 June 2007 and employees have yet to complete a full year in which their performance will be reviewed for pay purposes. Consequently, no bonus payments have been awarded yet.

Departmental Labour Turnover

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the percentage turnover of staff was in  (a) his Department and  (b) his Department's agencies in (i) the last 12-month period and (ii) the last 24-month period for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: DIUS was created by machinery of government changes in July 2007 from elements of the then Department of Trade and Industry and Department for Education and Skills.
	As a consequence the Department has not yet existed for the specified periods of 12 and 24 months. At this point staff turnover has not been analysed by the new Department as the systems are not yet in place to do so reliably. The Department is undertaking a project to move to a shared services HR Data platform, and, as soon as this project is completed, will be in a position to analyse and provide such data. Until such time, the collection of the required data would involve disproportionate cost.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much was spent by his Department on  (a) alcohol and  (b) entertaining in the last 12 month period for which information is available.

Bill Rammell: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was created as a result of machinery of government changes in June 2007. Information on this type of hospitality expenditure is not collected centrally in the Department. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pay

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many and what proportion of his Department's staff are employed within each salary band; what the title and role of each position within each salary band is; and for each salary band what the  (a) bonus structure,  (b) retirement provision,  (c) expenses provision,  (d) total expenses incurred in each of the last 10 years,  (e) average age of employee,  (f) number of (i) women and (ii) men and  (g) ethnic composition is.

Bill Rammell: The Department employs 783 staff in a wide variety of roles. It was formed as part of the 28 June 2007 machinery of government changes, taking in staff from the former Department for Education and Skills and Department of Trade and Industry. The following table sets out the numbers and proportions of men and women now employed in each of the general salary bands (percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number):
	
		
			  Grade  (a)  M en  Proportion men (percentage)  (b) W omen  Proportion women (percentage)  Total 
			 Administrative Assistant 1 1 0 0 1 
			 Administrative Officer 37 5 44 6 81 
			 Executive Officer (EO) and equivalents 45 6 74 9 119 
			 Higher Executive Officer (HEO) and equivalents 92 12 127 16 219 
			 Senior Executive Officer (SEO) and equivalents 64 8 51 7 115 
			 Grade 7 and equivalents 85 11 75 10 160 
			 Grade 6 24 3 17 2 41 
			 Senior Civil Service (SCS) 33 4 13 2 46 
			 Special Adviser 1 1 0 0 1 
			 DIUS total 382 49 401 51 783 
		
	
	Staff undertake a wide variety of duties in support of my Department's objectives, including some specialist roles. Titles and roles of each position and other individual information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost, but I can add the following further information on the work force: the average age of employees across the Department is 41. 50 employees (6.4 per cent.) have identified themselves as black and minority ethnic (BME) staff. Additionally, 255 (32.6 per cent.) have said that they prefer not to say or have not yet declared an ethnicity.
	For staff at Grade 6 and below there is a non-consolidated bonus structure that varies according to pay agreements but is negotiated annually with the trade unions and follows Cabinet Office central guidance. For all SCS staff the bonus arrangements are determined centrally by Cabinet Office. Staff in the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills participate in the general Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) determined by Cabinet Office. The PCSPS is an unfunded multi-employer defined benefit scheme. Expenses are claimed according to central and departmental guidance available to all staff. Information on individual expenses claimed in each of the last 10 years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the salary range is for each pay band of civil servants in his Department.

Bill Rammell: The Department was created as part of the machinery of government changes on 28 June 2007 and comprises employees transferred from the two previous Departments: the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department for Education and Skills. On transfer, the employees have retained their previous salary scales pending a common range being agreed. The current salary ranges are contained in tables which have been placed in the Libraries.

Departmental Private Finance Initiative

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many  (a) private finance initiative and  (b) public private partnership contracts his Department is party to.

Bill Rammell: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was created by machinery of government changes at the end of June 2007. The Department does not have any private finance initiatives nor public-private partnership contracts.

Departmental Private Finance Initiative

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the  (a) value and  (b) start date was of each private finance initiative project approved by his Department in each of the last three financial years.

Bill Rammell: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was created as a result of machinery of government changes in June 2007. The Department has no PFI schemes and hence has not approved any in the last three financial years.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the Winter Supplementary Estimates (HC 29), if he will break down his Department's new estimate provision by subhead in (i) near cash and (ii) non-cash terms.

Bill Rammell: Near cash and non-cash are essentially used as departmental expenditure limit (DEL) budgetary control concepts and are not specifically identified with voted resources in estimates. However, we have been able to break down net total resources, which includes both near cash and non-cash, for each section in the Part II: Subhead detail table of our new supply estimate as follows. The split between near cash and non-cash could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Subhead detail 
			000 
			   RfRl:  
			   Spending in Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL)  
			   Central Government spending  
			 A Activities to Support all Functions 71,376 
			 B Higher Education 155,721 
			 C Higher Education Support for Students 2,335,083 
			 D Further Education, Skills and international Programmes 264,331 
			 E Further Education Receipts from DCSF -5,186,025 
			 F Science, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer 354,377 
			   Support for Local Authorities  
			 G Higher Education Fees and Awards through Local Education Authorities 1,000 
			 H Further education receipts from DCSF to support sixth forms -2,022,881 
			 I Science and innovation Knowledge transfer 4,191 
			   Spending in Annually Managed Expenditure (AME)  
			   Central Government spending  
			 J Loans to Students -515,000 
			   Non-Budget  
			 K Higher Education Funding Council for England 6,868,992 
			 L Office for Fair Access 500 
			 M Student Loan Company 43,762 
			 N Investors in People UK 5,103 
			 O Learning and Skills Council 11,132,384 
			 P Sector Skills Development Agency 66,638 
			 Q Quality Improvement Agency 107,567 
			 R Design Council 6,892 
			
			   RfR2:  
			   Spending in Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL)  
			   Central Government spending  
			 A The Royal Society 41,072 
			 B Royal Academy of Engineering 9,752 
			 C British Academy 21,385 
			 D RB Initiatives 6,000 
			 E Science and Society 11,395 
			 F Knowledge Transfer 19,000 
			 G Science Research Investment Fund 62,390 
			 H Research Base Administration Costs 3,500 
			 I GO-Science Group Administration Costs 5,000 
			 J Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council -1,000 
			   Spending in Annually Managed Expenditure (AME)  
			   Central Government spending  
			 K Research Councils' Pension Scheme 27,400 
			   Non-Budget  
			 L Arts and Humanities Research Council 106,343 
			 M Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council 382,930 
			 N Economic and Social Research Council 135,018 
			 O Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council 720,000 
			 P Medical Research Council 526,516 
			 Q Natural Environment Research Council 354,541 
			 R Science and Technology Facilities Council 568,866 
			 S Fees Payable under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 175 
			 T Higher Education Funding Council for England 366,970 
			  Total Net Resource 17,061,264

Departmental Public Expenditure

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which groups received funding from his Department and its predecessor in 2007.

Bill Rammell: It is unclear to which groups the hon. Member is referring. Therefore it has not been possible to provide an answer to this question.

Departmental Secondment

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many secondments of staff were made  (a) to and  (b) from his Department in each year since 1997; which organisations staff were seconded (i) to and (ii) from; how many staff were seconded in each year; for how long each secondment lasted; and what the cost was of each secondment in each year.

Bill Rammell: It is not possible to provide information for the full period as DIUS was created as part of the machinery of government changes on 28 June 2007. There were existing secondments agreementsboth in and out of the Departmental areas from which DIUS was formedand there have been subsequent agreements. Their details are in the following table. Unfortunately, the cost cannot readily be extracted and to do so would be disproportionate.
	
		
			   Secondments in  Duration  Secondment agreement-other organisation 
			 2004 1 3 years Leeds Metropolitan University 
			 2005 0   
			 2006 1 2 years Hertfordshire County Council 
			 2007 1 2 years BBC 
			 2008 1 1 year Royal Holloway, University of London 
			 Total 4   
		
	
	
		
			   Secondment out  Duration  Secondment agreement-other organisation 
			 2004 0   
			 2005 1 2.5 years Skills for Health 
			 2006 3 Two for 2.5 years and Farming and Countryside Education, Rotherham 
			   one for 3 years Metropolitan Council and Students Loan Company 
			 2007 2 1 year and 1.5 years Higher Education Funding Council for England and British Educational Communications and Technology Agency 
			 2008 2 1 year each Sheffield County Council and the Sector Skills Development Agency 
			 Total 8

Departmental Sick Leave

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what percentage of working days lost by his Department's staff was attributed to stress-related conditions in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: The percentage of working days lost by the Department's staff attributed to stress-related conditions during the six months from July to December amount to 15.6 per cent. of all working days lost due to sickness absence. The Department was set up as part of the machinery of government changes on 28 June 2007, so the percentage is based on figures from 1 July to 31 December 2007 (the latest information available).
	The Department is committed to providing a safe working environment and has put in place a range of measures to support all employees on health and wellbeing issues, including the provision of professional counselling and occupational health services.

Departmental Sustainable Development

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills whether his Department is on course to meet the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate targets to  (a) source at least 10 per cent. of its electricity from renewables by 31 March 2008 and  (b) increase recycling figures to 40 per cent. of waste by 2010.

Bill Rammell: The last published return on central Government progress on electricity from renewables and on recycling is contained within the Sustainable Development in Government Report for 2005/06. The 2006/07 report is due to be published in March 2008.
	As the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills was only formed in June 2007 we were not able to take part in this return.
	The Department's accommodation is located within buildings managed on our behalf by the Department for Children Schools and Families and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, and as such our Sustainable operations performance will be returned within their reports.

Departmental Sustainable Development

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills whether his Department is working towards an accredited certified environmental management system for  (a) its whole estate and  (b) some of its buildings.

Bill Rammell: The last published return on central Government progress on environmental management systems is contained within the Sustainable Development in Government Report for 2005/06. The 2006/07 report is due to be published in March 2008.
	As the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills was only formed in June 2007 we were not able to take part in this return.
	The Department's accommodation is located within buildings managed on our behalf by the Department for Children Schools and Families and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, and as such our sustainable operations performance will be returned within their reports.

Departmental Translation Services

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much was spent on translation services by his Department, its predecessors, associated agencies and non-departmental public bodies in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05,  (c) 2005-06,  (d) 2006-07 and  (e) 2007-08 to date.

Bill Rammell: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was created as a result of machinery of government changes in June 2007. Information on this type of expenditure is therefore only available for the years 2003-04 to 2005-06 at disproportionate cost. To date in 2007-08 the Department has spent 10,865.

Departmental Translation Services

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what documents his Department, associated agencies and non-departmental public bodies translate for people in the UK who do not speak English.

Bill Rammell: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, its associated agencies and non-departmental public bodies translate many of their documents and other media devices into various languages so as to provide widespread communication of information where there is an identified need. The majority of translated documentation is available in Welsh, in accordance with requirements under the Welsh Language Act, with the remaining translated into languages which include: Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Greek, Gujarati, Hindi, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Somali, Turkish, Urdu and Vietnamese where deemed appropriate in the circumstances and reasonably practicable.
	Documents available to aid innovation currently available translated into Welsh are:
	Patents Application Guide
	Trade Mark Application
	Form 1Request for Patent
	TM3Trade Mark Application Form
	DF2AApplication to Register One or More Designs
	FS2Fee Sheet
	There are documents to provide information and guidance for those seeking support for university. Many are available in Welsh with the following translated into various languages:
	Parent's Guide to Higher EducationArabic, Bengali, Cantonese, Gujarati, Punjabi, Somali and Urdu
	How to get Financial Help as a StudentArabic, Bengali, Cantonese, Gujarati, Punjabi, Somali and Urdu
	Get the Facts about Student Finance in EnglandArabic, Bengali, Cantonese, Greek, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, Somali, Turkish, Vietnamese and Urdu.
	Documents and media are available in different languages to help people to build upon their skills. These include:
	Learning to Read and Write at Home and at SchoolChinese, Gujarati, Hindi, Somali, Turkish and Urdu
	Video Mathematics at Home and at SchoolArabic, Bengali, Chinese, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, Somali, Turkish and Urdu

Departmental Travel

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  how much his Department spent on travel  (a) within and  (b) outside the UK for officials in each of the last 10 years; and what percentage of his Department's overall expenditure was spent on such travel in each such year;
	(2)  how many overseas visits by officials in his Department took place in each of the last 10 years; which countries were visited; and how much was spent on such visits in each such year.

Bill Rammell: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was created by machinery of government changes at the end of June 2007. As there is no central departmental register of overseas visits made by officials or travel expenditure by officials both within and outside the UK, this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, all official travel by the Department's officials is undertaken in accordance with rules set out in the departmental handbook.

Education: Prisoners

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills for how many hours a day on average a prisoner received education and training in the latest period for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: The information in the format requested is not collected centrally.
	Since the introduction of the Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) planned and funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), education providers are required to deliver the service set out in the 'Offenders Learning Journey' which specifies the minimum standards for education and vocational training for offenders. Data from August 2006 to July 2007 show that the OLASS contractors delivered 2,021,654 hours of 2,070,804 contracted hours, achieving 98 per cent. performance against the contract.

Industrial Health and Safety: Training

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much was spent on providing health and safety training for  (a) his Department and  (b) educational establishments for which his Department has responsibility in the last 12 months.

Bill Rammell: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was created as a result of machinery of government changes in June 2007. Information on health and safety training is not held centrally in this Department and the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Kent

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what funds in the form of  (a) revenue payments,  (b) capital grants and  (c) supported borrowing for which his Department is responsible have been made available to (i) Kent County Council, (ii) Thanet District Council and (iii) Dover District Council in 2007-08.

Bill Rammell: The following payments were made in 2007-08:
	
		
			  Local authority  Notes   
			 Kent County Council Revenue payment 103,633.30 
			 Kent County Council Revenue payment 332

Physics: Reviews

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills in which month he expects the review of physics to report.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 20 February 2008
	I expect Research Councils UK (RCUK) to consider in September the report from the physics review panel, chaired by Professor Bill Wakeham.

Postal Services

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many items of post sent by his Department and its predecessor were reported missing by the intended recipient in each year since 1997.

Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Railways

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much was spent by his Department and its predecessor on first class train tickets in the last 12 months.

Bill Rammell: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was created as a result of machinery of government changes in June 2007. Information on travel expenditure to this detail is not collected centrally in the Department. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, year to date, the Department has spent 117,940 on rail travel.

Regulation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills for which regulators and inspectorates his Department has had responsibility in each year since 1997; what the budget was of each such body in each year; and what the cost to the public purse was of any restructuring of each such body in each year.

Bill Rammell: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was created by machinery of government changes at the end of June 2007. Since its establishment, the Department has not had responsibility for any regulators or inspectorates.

Sexual Harassment

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many complaints of  (a) sexual harassment and  (b) sexual discrimination have been made by staff in his Department in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: DIUS was created by machinery of government changes in July 2008 from elements of the then Department of Trade and Industry and Department for Education and Skills.
	DIUS is currently undertaking a project to define document and agree a single set of policies and procedures. Until such time as these are defined, the policies of an employee's former department (DTI/DfES) remain in force. These policies allow for staff to report any cases of harassment to line management, Trade Union representatives, a confidential counselling service or HR.
	During the period in which DIUS has existed there have been no cases of complaints of sexual harassment or sexual discrimination.

Shropshire

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the value was of each grant provided by his Department, its associated agencies and non-departmental public bodies to  (a) Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council,  (b) Shropshire County Council and  (c) Telford and the Wrekin Borough Council in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08; and what grants have been planned for 2008-09.

Bill Rammell: The following payments were made in those years.
	
		
			   
			   2006-07  2007-08 
			 Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council 0 0 
			 Shropshire County Council 0 1,100 
			 Telford and the Wrekin Borough Council 0 13,981.76 
		
	
	No further payments are expected to be made in 2008-09.

Teachers: Training

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which three teaching disciplines had the highest number of graduates in each of the last 10 academic years.

Jim Knight: I have been asked to reply.
	This information is not available in the format requested.
	Information on the qualifications of teachers in the subjects they teach in secondary schools is collected in the Secondary School Curriculum and Staffing Survey. This is an occasional survey for which the latest information available is from 2002. The following table provides the number of teachers teaching each subject broken down by the proportion at each post A-level qualification level including degree. Degrees are split into those in the specific subject for those entering teaching via postgraduate (e.g. PGCE) routes and those specialising in the subject as part of specialised undergraduate teaching degree (e.g. BEd) As this is from a sample survey the actual number at each qualification level is not available.
	The Secondary School Curriculum and Staffing Survey was repeated in 2007 and the results will be published by the Department in spring 2008.
	
		
			  Teachers in service: Full-time teachers in maintained secondary schoolshighest post A-level qualifications( 1)  held in the subjects they teach( 2)  to year groups 7-13, England 
			   Percentages  
			   Degree( 3)  BEd  PGCE  Cert Ed  Other qual.  No qual.  Total teachers (thousand) 
			 Mathematics 42 ± 3 15 ± 2 9 ± 2 7 ± 1 2 ± 1 24 ± 2 28.2 
			 English 51 ± 3 15 ± 2 7 ± 1 6 ± 1 1 ± 1 20 ± 2 29.4 
			 
			 Combined/General science 62 ± 3 12 ± 2 10 ± 2 4 ± 1 1 ± 1 11 ± 2 28.3 
			 Biology(4) 71 ± 5 7 ± 3 11 ± 4 3 ± 2 - ± 1 7 ± 3 5.6 
			 Chemistry(4) 72 ± 5 6 ± 3 12 ± 4 1 ± 1 1 ± 1 7 ± 3 5.2 
			 Physics(4) 63 ± 6 11 ± 4 15 ± 4 3 ± 2 - ± - 8 ± 3 4.7 
			 Other sciences(4) 10 ± 6 4 ± 4 5 ± 4 - ± - - ± - 80 ± 8 1.6 
			 
			 French 54 ± 3 7 ± 2 10 ± 2 3 ± 1 2 ± 1 23 ± 3 16.0 
			 German 47 ± 5 6 ± 3 13 ± 4 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 30 ± 5 6.9 
			 Spanish 37 ± 7 8 ± 4 19 ± 6 - ± - 3 ± 2 33 ± 7 3.6 
			 Other modern languages 18 ± 8 - ± - 9 ± 7 - ± - 3 ± 4 71 ±10 1.4 
			 
			 Design and technology(5) 26 ± 3 20 ± 3 7 ± 2 21 ± 3 2 ± 1 24 ± 3 20.9 
			 ICT(5, 6) 13 ± 2 6 ± 1 8 ± 2 2 ± 1 3 ± 1 69 ± 3 18.9 
			 Other/Combined technology(5) 30 ± 10 13 ± 8 16 ± 7 18 ± 9 2 ± 3 20 ± 9 1.6 
			 
			 Business studies 30 ± 5 11 ± 4 9 ± 3 4 ± 2 3 ± 2 43 ± 5 6.5 
			 Classics 33 ± 7 - ± - 2 ± 4 2 ± - - ± - 63 ± 7 1.0 
			 History 57 ± 4 9 ± 2 6 ± 2 6 ± 2 - ± - 23 ± 3 13.7 
			 Religious education 22 ± 3 8 ± 2 8 ± 2 4 ± 1 2 ± 1 57 ± 4 14.2 
			 Geography 53 ± 4 9 ± 2 6 ± 2 5 ± 2 1 ± 1 25 ± 3 13.7 
			 Other social studies 35 ± 5 6 ± 3 2 ± 2 2 ± 1 - ± 1 54 ± 6 4.9 
			 Combined arts/humanities/ social studies 5 ± 3 4 ± 2 7 ± 3 1 ± 1 1 ± 1 83 ± 5 5.3 
			 
			 Music 59 ± 5 15 ± 4 5 ± 2 6 ± 3 2 ± 2 13 ± 4 6.3 
			 Drama 25 ± 4 10 ± 3 12 ± 3 6 ± 2 2 ± 1 45 ± 5 8.1 
			 Art and design 54 ± 4 10 ± 3 7 ± 2 9 ± 3 1 ± 1 20 ± 4 9.3 
			 Physical education 25 ± 3 31 ± 3 6 ± 2 13 ± 2 2 ± 1 22 ± 2 21.4 
			 Careers education 2 ± 2 1 ± 2 3 ± 3 4 ± 4 3 ± 4 87 ± 7 1.5 
			 PSHE(6) 1 ± - 1 ± - 2 ± 1 1 ± - - ± - 95 ± 1 61.4 
			 General studies 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 1 ± 1 - ± 1 - ± - 95 ± 2 7.1 
			 Citizenship 2 ± 1 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 - ± 1 - ± - 94 ± 2 9.0 
			 Other   32.8 
			 
			 Total(2, 7) 33 ± - 10 ± - 7 ± - 5 ± - 1 ± - 44 ± - 388.4 
			 '-' = zero or less than 0.5. (1) Where a teacher has more than one post A-level qualification in the same subject, the qualification level is determined by the highest level reading from left (degree) to right (other qual.). For example, teachers shown under PGCE have a PGCE but not a degree or BEd in the subject, while those with a PGCE and a degree are shown only under degree. (2) Teachers are counted once against each subject which they are teaching. (3) Includes higher degrees but excludes BEds. (4) Teachers qualified in combined/general science are treated as qualified to teach biology, chemistry, or physics. Teachers qualified in biology, chemistry or physics are treated as qualified to teach combined/general science. (5) Teachers qualified in other/combined technology are treated as qualified to teach design and technology or information and communication technology. Teachers qualified in design and technology or information and communication technology are treated as qualified to teach other/combined technology. (6) Information and Communication Technology is abbreviated as ICT and Personal Social and Health Education is abbreviated as PSHE. (7) 'Other' not included in total percentages.  Source: Secondary Schools Curriculum and Staffing Survey 2002.

Tolls

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much his Department spent on congestion charges in 2007.

Bill Rammell: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was created by machinery of government changes at the end of June 2007. As information on congestion charges paid is not collected centrally in the Department, this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Vocational Training: Prisoners

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what skills audits have been carried out on prisoners since 1992; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 3 March 2008
	Prison Service Order 0550 requires that every prisoner's literacy, numeracy and skills needs are assessed as part of the induction programme put in place soon after entering custody. The results of this assessment inform the offender management process and contribute to the fuller assessment of learning needs to inform an individual learning plan. In public prisons, that fuller assessment is carried out by the provider appointed by the Learning and Skills Council.
	The offender learning and skills delivery arrangements aim to develop a learning plan that is personalised to the needs of the individual learner, subject to the constraints imposed by the secure environment. The focus of the arrangements is on the individual and there has been no general audit of the skills needs of prisoners since my Department took responsibility for the policy in 2001, although the Social Exclusion Unit's 2002 report 'Reducing Re-offending by Ex-Prisoners' drew together a number of data sources to produce an overview of the skills needs of offenders.

Young People

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many staff aged between 16 and 18 were employed by his Department and its predecessor  (a) directly and  (b) through an employment agency in each of the last 10 years; what proportion of these were given time off work to undertake some form of training; and what proportion were provided with some form of training (i) wholly and (ii) partially funded by his Department.

Bill Rammell: DIUS was created by machinery of government changes in July 2007 from elements of the then Department of Trade and Industry and Department for Education and Skills.
	In the period since its creation DIUS has not employed any staff between the ages of 16 and 18.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Detainees

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the report of 6 March by the UN Secretary-General on the situation in Afghanistan, what representations he has received from the United Nations on the issue of access to detention centres in Afghanistan run by international military forces; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: holding answer 14 March 2008
	 My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not received any representations from the UN regarding the Secretary-General's report of 6 March and access to detention facilities. The UK has several facilities to temporarily hold those detained before they are either released or transferred to the Afghan authorities. Relevant human rights institutions within the UN system, the International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent and the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission are encouraged to inspect all UK detention facilities in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Detainees

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which detention centres in Afghanistan are run by international military forces; and to which of these centres UN officials have access.

Kim Howells: holding answer 14 March 2008
	 A number of the national military contingents operating in Afghanistan under the International Security Assistance Force, including from the UK, have facilities for temporary detention. We allow the International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent access to UK facilities holding detainees and would provide access to the UN if a request was made. We do not monitor whether the UN has access to partners' facilities.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what changes have been made to the mandate of the incoming UN Special Representative for Afghanistan as compared with that of his predecessor; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: holding answer 14 March 2008
	 The terms of reference for the new UN Special Representative for Afghanistan are a matter for the UN Secretary-General. It is important that Kai Eide has strong terms of reference to carry out his vital role of co-ordinating the efforts of the international community in Afghanistan.

Burma: Arms Trade

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to secure a universal arms embargo on the military regime in Burma.

Meg Munn: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr. Mitchell) on 4 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2354W.

Burma: Asylum

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Malaysia on the provision of improved protection to Burmese asylum seekers in Malaysia by registering such applicants for asylum.

Meg Munn: Our high commission in Kuala Lumpur keeps in close contact with the local office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees on issues relating to the circumstances of Burmese refugees in Malaysia.
	The office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Malaysia has confirmed it registers Burmese asylum applicants while their applications are being considered.

Caribbean: Royal Visits

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to whom official gifts were presented by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall during their visit to the Caribbean in March; who selected those gifts; what the cost of each gift was; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 5 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2566W.
	Gifts are selected by the royal household under guidelines set by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
	I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as the accounts for the visit have been finalised and will arrange for a copy of the letter to be placed in the Library of the House.

Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Written Statement of 31 January 2006,  Official Report, column 10WS, on Pingat Jasa Malaysia, what requests to wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals has received since 31 January 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: Government Departments have received numerous representations on the subject of approval being granted for veterans to accept, but not wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia. The committee reviewed its decision three times, on each occasion upholding the general principles which apply to the question of acceptance and wear of foreign decorations. In July 2007 it agreed that veterans would be allowed to wear the medal for main independence celebrations in Malaysia from 15 August to 8 September 2007.

Freedom of Information Act (John Williams' Document)

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 1-2WS, on the Freedom of Information Act (John Williams' document) who authorised Mr Williams to produce the document;
	(2)  when the draft was written; and to whom the draft was  (a) delivered and  (b) circulated.

Kim Howells: holding answer 17 March 2008
	John Williams produced his draft on his own initiative over the weekend of 7 and 8 September 2002. We have no record of to whom it was delivered or circulated.

Freedom of Information Act (John Williams' Document)

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Williams document of 2002 on Iraq weapons of mass destruction was discussed at a dossier drafting group meeting on the afternoon of 9 September 2002.

Kim Howells: holding answer 17 March 2008
	Alastair Campbell's minute of 9 September 2002 to Sir John Scarlett is the record of the discussion that took place on 9 September 2002. A copy is available on the Hutton Inquiry website, reference CAB/6/0002-0004.

Freedom of Information Act (John Williams' Document)

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 1-2WS, on the Freedom of Information Act (John Williams' document), if he will publish  (a) the original file JIC Two Document Version 24 July 2002 and  (b) other sources from which Mr Williams worked in producing his draft.

Kim Howells: holding answer 17 March 2008
	There are no plans to release further documents.

Indonesia

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what visits are planned to the UK by representatives of the Indonesian government during 2008.

Meg Munn: There are regular visits by Indonesian Ministers to the UK. Most recently I met Indonesian Foreign Minister, Dr. Hassan Wirajuda, at Wilton Park on 3 March. Following the then Prime Minister's (Mr. Blair) visit to Indonesia in 2006 there is an open invitation to President Yudhoyono to visit the UK at a mutually convenient time.

Indonesia: Politics and Government

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he discussed  (a) West Papua and  (b) human rights with the Indonesian Minister for Finance, H. E. Dr. Sri Mulyani Indrawati, during his visit to the UK on 14 and 15 January 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: I met Indonesian Finance Minister, Dr. Sri Mulyani Indrawati, in London on 15 January. I discussed with her a range of bilateral and multilateral issues, including climate change and Burma as well as the situation in Papua.
	The Government's position on Papua is longstanding. We support the territorial integrity of Indonesia and do not therefore support calls for independence for Papua. We believe that full implementation of existing Special Autonomy legislation is the best way to address outstanding areas of concern and ensure the long-term stability of Papua.
	The overall human rights situation in Indonesia has improved dramatically in recent years. Indonesia is opening itself up to scrutiny by the international human rights framework, including through the UN Human Rights Council's process of Universal Periodic Review. Indonesia has a flourishing free media and a parliament that is increasingly holding the government to account. However, we recognise that challenges remain, particularly in Papua. I discussed the situation in Papua and raised human rights with Papua Governor Barnabus Suebo whom I met in London on 25 October 2007. Our embassy in Jakarta monitors the situation in Papua closely and continues to support those working to improve human rights across Indonesia.

Russia: Politics and Government

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications of the election of Dmitry Medvedev as Russian President.

Jim Murphy: It is too early to tell what the implications of the results of the recent Russian presidential elections are. The victor, Mr. Medvedev, does not take office until 7 May, when he is expected to announce a new Cabinet, the make up of which will give a clearer sense of the direction of Russia under his leadership.
	It is vital that we engage with Russia on a wide range of international objectives, such as Iran, the middle east peace process and climate and energy security. However, there are also important bilateral strains, which need to be addressed. I hope that Mr. Medvedev's presidency will provide an opportunity to strengthen our bilateral relationship with Russia.

Simon Mann

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has been informed of a date for the trial of Simon Mann.

Meg Munn: holding answer 14 March 2008
	 We are aware that the Equatorial Guinea authorities announced that the trial would begin in mid-March. We are seeking further clarification from them on this.

Simon Mann

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received an explanation for the shackling of Simon Mann by the Equatorial Guinea authorities.

Meg Munn: holding answer 14 March 2008
	 While we have raised this issue with the Equatorial Guinean authorities, we have been given no adequate explanation.

Simon Mann

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criteria he applies in assessing whether a court procedure overseas amounts to a fair trial.

Meg Munn: holding answer 14 March 2008
	There are a number of instruments that outline international standards in relation to the right to a fair trial, including the universal declaration of human rights and the international covenant on civil and political rights. In considering whether a court procedure amounts to a fair trial, we are guided by such instruments.

South Africa: Chemical and Biological Warfare

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 1707-08W, on South Africa: chemical and biological warfare, at which conferences and on what occasions UK officials and scientists had contact with South African counterparts who were subsequently identified as having worked on Project Coast; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The information requested is not held centrally. UK officials and scientists would routinely have been present at a number of types of meetings and conferences, including those on the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, the negotiations leading to the Chemical Weapons Convention, chemical/biological defence and public health issues, at which South African counterparts may have been present. To identify each occasion where UK officials or scientists had contact with relevant South African counterparts would incur disproportionate cost.

Sudan: Newspaper Press

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effects of the re-introduction of newspaper censorship in Sudan on citizens.

Meg Munn: holding answer 17 March 2008
	We are concerned by reports that the Government of Sudan may be reverting to newspaper censorship and that an increasing number of journalists have been detained or harassed by the authorities. This would run counter to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and Article 39 of the Interim National Constitution, which guarantees freedom of the media and unrestricted right to freedom of expression, reception and dissemination of information. It is particularly important that citizens have freedom of access to information in the run-up to democratic elections in 2009. The UK, and our international partners, will continue to monitor press freedoms and promotion of a reformed press law in Sudan. We regularly raise human rights issues with the Government of Sudan in the EU-Sudan Human Rights dialogue, most recently in a meeting on 13 February.

Sudan: Peace Negotiations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likelihood of the government of South Sudan withdrawing from peace talks on Abyei.

Meg Munn: holding answer 17 March 2008
	The Government of Southern Sudan has repeatedly re-affirmed its commitment to finding a lasting resolution to Abyei. We understand the National Congress Party and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement are in negotiations on Abyei; that a sub-committee in the presidency has been established to broker a deal; and they may be close to a final agreement. We stand ready to assist as necessary once an agreement is reached.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

70 Whitehall

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the cost to the public purse was of the works at 70 Whitehall associated with planning application 06/09368/FULL; and on what date the works were completed.

Tom Watson: The final cost of the works at 70 Whitehall associated with planning application 06/09368/FULL is not yet available as these works are still in progress.

Charities

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he plans to review the criteria for charitable status; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The Charities Act 2006 provides a statutory definition of a charity in England and Wales. To be a charity, an organisation must be established for charitable purposes only and those purposes must be for the public benefit. The Government are committed to review the impact of the public benefit requirement within three years of its coming into force. There is also a statutory requirement for a review of the operation of the Act to be underway within five years of enactment, and for the report of that review to be presented to Parliament.

Charities: Private Education

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make it his policy to withdraw charitable status from  (a) private schools and  (b) financial institutions.

Phil Hope: The Government have no policy to withdraw charitable status from any class of charity. The Charities Act 2006 provides a statutory definition of charity in England and Wales. To be a charity, an organisation must be established for charitable purposes only and those purposes must be for the public benefit. It is for the Charity Commission, as the independent registrar and regulator of charities in England and Wales, to determine whether a particular institution is, or is not, a charity.

Community Champions Scheme: Finance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  what factors he took into account in making the decision to discontinue the funding of the Community Champions scheme from April 2008; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what consultations he undertook with  (a) hon. Members,  (b) local authorities,  (c) the charity sector and  (d) other stakeholders before making the decision to discontinue the funding of the Community Champions Scheme from 1 April 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: I have been asked to reply.
	Contracts for this programme were issued by Government offices with a clear end date of March 2008. There was no expectation that they would be extended beyond that date. The decision to confirm that this programme would not continue beyond March was taken as part of the much larger prioritisation process in the 2007 comprehensive spending review. It was not the subject of specific consultation. The decision was informed by DfES priorities expressed through the published five-year strategy, as well as by the approach to working with local areas and funding local activity signalled in the Local Government White Paper 'Strong and Prosperous Communities' in October 2006. There has been substantial consultation with the community and voluntary sector over the White Paper reforms.

Departmental Pay

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the current dispute between his Department and the Professional and Commercial Services trade union over pay; and what plans he has to renew negotiations.

Tom Watson: The Cabinet Office and PCS are engaging constructively through regular meetings to discuss pay, job reductions and relocations, and other issues which form the current PCS civil service-wide dispute.

Homeworking: Data Protection

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many home computer users are signed up to receive information from IT Safe.

Tony McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
	The total number of users including home users signed up to receive information from IT Safe, as at 3 March 2008, is 65,963 email subscriptions.

LinkAge Plus

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment he has made of the LinkAge Plus pilot schemes; and whether he plans to implement the LinkAge Plus scheme nationwide.

Mike O'Brien: I have been asked to reply.
	Warwick Business School have been commissioned to undertake an over-arching national evaluation of the LinkAge Plus pilots. The project brief is:
	To build a robust evidence base to support the case for joined up services in terms of delivering better outcomes for older people;
	To build an evidence base that supports the economic, as well as social, case for fully joined up/holistic services for older people;
	To test the limits of holistic working; and
	To build a body of good practice and lessons learned for other partnerships and communities so as to encourage wider application of the approach, beyond pilot sites.
	In addition local evaluators have been appointed by each pilot to test the success of the projects in local terms. Their evidence will contribute to the national evaluation. A series of thematic reports will be produced during the life of the projects with a final summary report scheduled for publication by March 2009. The first thematic reportTowards a Business Case for LinkAge Pluswas published in November 2007 on the DWP website.
	The current LinkAge Plus pilots will end their funded activity by October 2008. There are no plans to fund any further pilot activity beyond this date. We are already sharing lessons learned from the pilot activity in order to encourage continuing sustainable joined-up services for older people (for example through the new Social Care Reform Grant).

Planning Permission

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what planning applications his Department has made under the Circular 1884 Procedure to Westminster City Council since May 1997.

Tom Watson: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Plastic Bags

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many branded plastic bags were purchased by the  (a) Cabinet Office,  (b) Government Communications Network and  (c) Central Office of Information Network in the last 36 months; for what purpose; and at what cost in each case.

Phil Hope: The information requested is not held centrally and is therefore available only at disproportionate cost.

Plastic Bags: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many branded plastic bags the former Deputy Prime Minister's Office procured; and at what cost.

Phil Hope: The information requested is not held centrally and is therefore available only at disproportionate cost.

Social Exclusion: Elderly

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations accepted by the Government in the Social Exclusion Unit's report, A Sure Start to Later Life, on social exclusion among older people.

Mike O'Brien: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government have made good progress on the recommendations in 'A Sure Start to Later Life'. This has included the successful roll out of LinkAge Plus pilots, the introduction of age discrimination legislation, the new PSA focused on older people (to tackle poverty and promote greater independence and well-being in later life), and the development of a National Housing Strategy for Older People, due to be published shortly.
	The Sure Start recommendations are now being taken forward by the various strands of PSA 17 which is aimed at ensuring that the specific needs of older people are given due priority.

Voluntary Organisations: Contracts

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  what progress has been made on ensuring third sector organisations providing services in Eddisbury are awarded three-year contracts;
	(2)  what proportion of contracts awarded to third sector organisations that provide services in Eddisbury are three-year contracts.

Phil Hope: This Government are committed to ensuring that three year funding for third sector organisations becomes the norm rather than the exception. I will be reporting on Government progress in meeting this funding commitment to HM Treasury on an annual basis. The first report will be made in the autumn 2008 and will be laid before Parliament. It is expected that local authorities will be making reports on three year funding from 2009 onwards.
	The information requested is currently not recorded centrally.

Warwick Task Force Group Compact

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2208W, on the Warwick Task Force Group Compact, which  (a) organisations and  (b) individuals attended each of the group's six meetings.

Tom Watson: The Public Services Forum Task Group is attended by representatives from relevant Government Departments, trade unions, business and the third sector.

JUSTICE

Action for Employment

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department and its agencies paid to A4E in each of the last three years.

Maria Eagle: The spend for services acquired from A4e was as follows:
	 Former DCA
	2006-07: 41.13
	 Her Majesty's Prison Service
	2005-06: 12,654
	2006-07: 36,628
	2007-08 to date: 10,311
	Grand Total: 59,593
	The following agencies have a nil spend in the above stated period:
	Her Majesty's Court Service
	Tribunals Service
	National Offenders Management Service
	Office of Criminal Justice reform
	Office of the Public Guardian
	Information on payments made by the non departmental public bodies sponsored by the Department are held by the bodies themselves under separate accounting systems. This information is not held centrally.

Cannabis

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were  (a) proceeded against,  (b) found guilty,  (c) fined and  (d) imprisoned for dealing in cannabis in 2006.

Jack Straw: Data showing the number of people proceeded against, found guilty, fined and imprisoned for supply and possession with intent to supply, of cannabis are found in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts, found guilty at all courts, fined and given a custodial sentence for supplying or intending to supply cannabis, England and Wales, 2006( 1, 2) 
			  Offence  Statute  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Fined  Immediate custody 
			 Supplying or offering to supply (or being concerned in supplying or offering to supply) a controlled drug Class C Cannabis and Cannabis resin Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, Sec.4(3) 550 321 18 80 
			 Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply Class C Cannabis and Cannabis resin Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, Sec. 5(3) 1,444 837 27 199 
			 Total  1,994 1,158 45 279 
			 (1 )These data are on the principal offence basis. (2 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source:  Court proceedings data held by RDS OCJR - Ministry of Justice

Crime: Nature Conservation

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) prosecutions and  (b) convictions for wildlife crimes there were in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for the offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Protection of Badgers Act 1992, Deer Act 1991, Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulation 1997, and the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, in England and Wales for the years 1997 to 2006 can be viewed in the following table.
	Court proceedings data for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Protection of Badgers Act 1992, Deer Act 1991, Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulation 1997, and the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, in England and Wales for the years 1997 to 2006( 1, 2, 3, 4) 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 1996 117 77 
			 1997 166 110 
			 1998 106 70 
			 1999 125 70 
			 2000 113 64 
			 2001 140 96 
			 2002 104 64 
			 2003 110 63 
			 2004 135 96 
			 2005 108 66 
			 2006 190 130 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Includes the following Statutes: Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Protection of Badgers Act 1992 Deer Act 1991 Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulation 1997  Conservation of Seals Act 1970 (4) Staffordshire Police Force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.  Source: Court proceedings data held by RDS - Office for Criminal Justice Reform - Ministry of Justice

Dangerous Driving: Reoffenders

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people convicted for the first time of dangerous driving in the last 10 years subsequently committed a second offence of dangerous driving; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Data from the police national computer shows that in England and Wales between 1997 and 2006 43,863 offenders were convicted for the first time of dangerous driving. Of these, 3,769 were also convicted on at least one later occasion between 1997 and 2006 of dangerous driving. These figures have been derived from the police's administrative IT system, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Holloway Prison: Disciplinary Proceedings

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many disciplinary hearings have taken place as a result of the investigations following the death in custody of Lyndsey Wright in February 2005 at HM Prison Holloway; what the outcomes of the hearings were; and how much they have cost.

Maria Eagle: I am not able to reply substantively to this question as the inquest into the death of Lyndsey Wright has not yet been held and information of this type could prejudice inquest hearings.

Human Trafficking: Children

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of trafficked children who were transferred from adult prisons to the juvenile secure estate following a re-determination of their age assessment in the last three years.

David Hanson: Neither the Prison Service nor the Youth Justice Board, which has responsibility for placing young people in the under-18 secure estate, is aware of any such transfers during the period in question.

Land Registry: Retirement

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many members of staff aged 64 years or more in the Land Registry  (a) in Peterborough and  (b) elsewhere have been offered the option to continue to work beyond 65 years of age in the current financial year; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: In the current financial year, 67 members of Land Registry became or will become 64 years of age, of whom five are Peterborough staff. Of these, nine have applied to continue working for Land Registry beyond 65 years of age, including one from the Peterborough Office. To date, no application has been approved.
	Under The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006, which came into effect on 1 October 2006, all Land Registry staff approaching the age of 65 have an entitlement to request to work beyond the age of 65. The Human Resources department actively remind staff of this entitlement about six months before the age of 65 is reached.

Magistrates Courts: Telford

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many individuals under the age of 21 years appeared before magistrates in Telford in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: Data showing the number of defendants aged under 21 who were proceeded against at Telford magistrates court from 2002 to 2004 are shown in the following table. From 1 January 2005 Telford magistrates court was merged with Bridgnorth magistrates court to form Telford and Bridgnorth local justice area. It is not possible to separate those proceeded against at Telford magistrates court from those at Bridgnorth for 2005 and 2006 and combined data are provided in the following table for those years.
	
		
			  Number of defendants aged under 21 proceeded against at Telford magistrates court from 2002 to 2004 and at Telford and Bridgnorth( 1)  local justice area for 2005 to 2006( 2) 
			   Number of defendants 
			 2002 1,275 
			 2003 1,076 
			 2004 906 
			 2005(1) 816 
			 2006(1) 987 
			 (1) From 1 January 2005 Telford MC was merged with Bridgnorth MC to form the Telford and Bridgnorth local justice area. Data supplied for 2005 and 2006 are for the combined LJA and separate data for Telford MC for those years are not centrally available. (2 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Offenders: Unemployment

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2007,  Official Report, column 469W, on offenders: unemployment, when he expects to decide on the future of the pilots; and whether he has taken advice on the continued use of this sanction in pilot areas after monitoring has ceased.

David Hanson: The matter is still under consideration but I expect to announce the outcome shortly.

Open Prisons: Prisoner Escapes

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners convicted of  (a) murder,  (b) rape and  (c) other sexual offences have absconded from open prisons in England and Wales in the last three years; and how many of them remain at large.

Jack Straw: Data are shown in the following tables for the number of prisoners convicted of  (a) murder,  (b) rape and  (c) other sexual offences who have absconded in the last three years from open or semi-open prisons and how many remain at large at the end of February 2008.
	
		
			  Absconds from open prisons in England and Wales: January 2005 to December 2007 
			   January to December  
			  Offence  2005  2006  2007  Total 
			 Murder 16 14 7 37 
			 Rape 1 1 1 3 
			 Other sexual offences 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 17 15 8 40 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of absconders in the aforementioned table still at large at the end of February 2008 
			   January to December  
			  Offence  2005  2006  2007  Total 
			 Murder 1 1 1 3 
			 Rape 0 0 0 0 
			 Other sexual offences 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 1 1 1 3 
		
	
	The number of overall absconds from open prisons in the last two years has been about half the level of 1996-97

Operation Safeguard: Costs

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department was invoiced for costs incurred under Operation Safeguard in each month since the start of 2008, broken down by police force; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: Police forces invoice in arrears for the cost of holding prisoners under Operation Safeguard. No invoice has yet been received from any police force for a complete month in 2008.

Police Custody: Costs

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average cost per night was for holding people in custody in police cells in Staffordshire in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jack Straw: Staffordshire police have not invoiced the Ministry of Justice for the cost of holding prisoners overnight in police cells since Operation Safeguard was activated in October 2006.
	However, the estimated average cost of holding a prisoner in a police cell under Operation Safeguard in England and Wales is currently in the region of 385 per night.

Prisoners: Death

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what disciplinary tribunal hearings have been held following deaths in prison allegedly resulting from employee negligence against those employees; and what the outcomes were of those hearings.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only by contacting all 127 public sector Prison Service establishments and manually collating their local records at a disproportionate cost.

Prisoners: Drugs

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of prisoners who entered drug rehabilitation programmes completed those programmes in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

David Hanson: The total number of prisoners who entered drug rehabilitation programmes in the last 12 months and completed the programmes are given in the following table:
	
		
			  2006-07 
			   Number of prisoners 
			 Starts 11,150 
			 Completions 8,349 
			 Completion rate (percentage) 74

Prisons

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice under what circumstances warning code entries are not completed on a prison service F2050 form; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Prison Service Order 0500 (Reception), which is available in the Library of the House, sets out the procedures to be followed on reception of a prisoner into prison to ensure that important information, including warning information from the Prisoner Escort Record, is appropriately recorded and made available to those staff and departments who need it. The F2050 formthe prisoner's core recorddoes not have any spaces for warning codes to be entered. There are boxes for the dates of security and medical warnings but not for codes or any further details. When a prisoner arrives at prison for the first time, parts of the prisoner core record F2050, which accompanies the prisoner, should have been completed by the escort contractor's staff. Prison reception staff also receive a Prisoner Escort Record form on which some information is recorded in the form of codes. These codes are not transferred to the F2050, but the relevant information is transferred as appropriate to either the F2050, the ACCT (self-harm) form, the cell sharing risk assessment, the prisoner's security file or inmate medical records.

Prisons: Finance

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the budget of each public sector prison in England and Wales is for  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09.

Jack Straw: The budget of each public sector prison in England and Wales for 2007-08 is contained in the following schedule.
	
		
			   Annual budget 2007-08 
			 Acklington 17,666,396 
			 Albany 13,107,519 
			 Ashwell 10,597,497 
			 Askham Grange 3,401,133 
			 Aylesbury 13,512,514 
			 Bedford 11,402,868 
			 Belmarsh 38,234,000 
			 Birmingham 30,975,252 
			 Blakenhurst 19,975,261 
			 Blantyre House 2,759,116 
			 Blundeston 11,620,697 
			 Brinsford 13,973,453 
			 Bristol 15,315,091 
			 Brixton 19,596,462 
			 Brockhill 5,865,316 
			 Buckley Hall 9,050,442 
			 Bullingdon 20,345,395 
			 Bullwood Hall 6,525,428 
			 Camp Hill 12,599,555 
			 Canterbury 7,328,984 
			 Cardiff 16,187,411 
			 Castington 14,441,624 
			 Channings Wood 15,602,535 
			 Chelmsford 17,580,402 
			 Coldingley 10,685,001 
			 Cookham Wood 7,000,898 
			 Dartmoor 15,945,240 
			 Deerbolt 14,042,762 
			 Dorchester 7,696,367 
			 Dover 7,362,056 
			 Downview 10,047,807 
			 Drake Hall 8,063,302 
			 Durham 22,725,949 
			 East Sutton Park 1,427,033 
			 Eastwood Park 10,750,007 
			 Edmunds Hill 9,351,960 
			 Erlestoke 9,664,050 
			 Everthorpe 13,057,290 
			 Exeter 12,265,080 
			 Featherstone 14,603,997 
			 Feltham 31,875,901 
			 Ford 8,294,655 
			 Foston Hall 9,935,310 
			 Frankland 37,264,000 
			 Full Sutton 28,284,000 
			 Garth 20,129,656 
			 Gartree 16,331,083 
			 Glen Parva 18,794,985 
			 Gloucester 8,971,759 
			 Grendon 11,875,917 
			 Guys Marsh 11,247,989 
			 Haslar 3,764,658 
			 Haverigg 13,867,425 
			 Hewell Grange 4,113,399 
			 Highdown 21,128,790 
			 Highpoint 14,715,826 
			 Hindley 18,507,566 
			 HMP Kennet 10,860,637 
			 Hollesley Bay 6,870,046 
			 Holloway 20,539,748 
			 Holme House 20,431,091 
			 Hull 21,465,696 
			 Huntercombe 13,391,697 
			 Isle of Sheppey Cluster 41,532,491 
			 Kingston 6,122,900 
			 Kirkham 13,422,817 
			 Kirklevington Grange 4,739,835 
			 Lancaster Castle 7,564,344 
			 Lancaster Farms 17,480,531 
			 Latchmere House 4,308,860 
			 Leeds 23,539,695 
			 Leicester 9,517,572 
			 Lewes 13,252,775 
			 Leyhill 10,419,733 
			 Lincoln 15,711,598 
			 Lindholme 19,852,472 
			 Lindholme IND 1,494,000 
			 Littlehey 12,512,303 
			 Liverpool 27,631,515 
			 Long Lartin 25,080,000 
			 Low Newton 11,265,629 
			 Maidstone 11,595,847 
			 Manchester 31,670,000 
			 Moorland 20,410,751 
			 Morton Hall 8,568,780 
			 Mount (The) 16,140,682 
			 New Hall 15,641,511 
			 North Sea Camp 5,979,738 
			 Northallerton 5,753,312 
			 Norwich 15,979,461 
			 Nottingham 14,885,028 
			 Onley 16,426,971 
			 Parkhurst 13,685,033 
			 Pentonville 25,732,822 
			 Portland 15,862,406 
			 Preston 18,486,046 
			 Ranby 20,530,533 
			 Reading 9,104,392 
			 Risley 21,131,993 
			 Rochester 10,499,024 
			 Send 7,573,362 
			 Shepton Mallet 5,908,133 
			 Shrewsbury 8,379,014 
			 Springhill 2,926,680 
			 Stafford 14,287,211 
			 Stocken 15,412,147 
			 Stoke Heath 18,115,945 
			 Styal 14,805,499 
			 Sudbury 8,453,019 
			 Swansea 9,821,545 
			 Swinfen Hall 14,917,296 
			 Thorn Cross 9,349,935 
			 Usk 8,679,380 
			 Verne (The) 11,368,823 
			 Wakefield 28,344,000 
			 Wandsworth 30,728,944 
			 Warren Hill 9,297,316 
			 Wayland 14,282,088 
			 Wealstun 17,282,367 
			 Wellingborough 13,450,622 
			 Werrington 6,500,712 
			 Wetherby 12,105,348 
			 Whatton 18,129,063 
			 Whitemoor 30,468,000 
			 Winchester 14,573,161 
			 Woodhill 30,301,000 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 26,866,041 
			 Wymott 21,887,011 
		
	
	The budget of each public sector prison in England and Wales for 2008-09 is still being finalised.

Prisons: Islam

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of  (a) the prisoner population,  (b) prison officers and  (c) prison governors have declared their faith as Muslim.

Jack Straw: At the end of June 2006 there were 8,243 prisoners declaring themselves as Muslim in all prison establishments in England and Wales out of a total prison population of 77,982, or 11 per cent. This information can be found in the Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2006, a copy of which is in the House of Commons Library and on the Ministry of Justice website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/prisonand probation.htm
	Information on the religion of staff within the public sector Prison Service is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Sufficient information from the contracted out prisons to give a comprehensive response is similarly not available.
	Data from the 2001 Census show that in the general population of England and Wales, some 1.5 million people (3 per cent.) declared themselves as Muslim.
	The largest group of Muslims in prison are Asian or Asian British. Asian Muslims from the UK account for nearly 30 per cent. of all Muslims in prison.
	
		
			  Nationality  Total  White  Mixed  Asian or Asian British  Black or Black British  Chinese or Other ethnic group  Not Stated/Not recorded 1991 Census codes 
			 Total 8,243 1,167 484 3,652 2,660 189 91 
			 
			 UK 4,958 12 6 48 31 1 1 
			 Pakistan 416 0 1 97 0 0 1 
			 Somalia 322 0 3 5 90 1 0 
			 Iraq 259 16 5 67 1 10 2 
			 Turkey 221 56 6 18 0 20 0 
			 Nigeria 185 0 1 1 98 0 0 
			 Bangladesh 179 1 1 95 3 1 0 
			 Algeria 179 47 14 19 14 5 1 
			 Jamaica 163 1 2 1 95 0 1 
			 Iran 130 16 9 67 2 7 0 
			 Afghanistan 107 18 7 68 1 5 1 
			 Albania 76 85 4 8 0 3 0 
			 France 66 47 12 10 31 0 0 
			 Serbia and Montenegro 51 77 4 4 0 12 2 
			 Unrecorded 177 13 6 40 27 7 6 
			 Other countries(1) 753 14 6 25 49 4 1 
			 (1 )Countries with fewer than 50 prisoners declaring themselves as Muslim are not included. 
		
	
	The higher number of Muslims in prison may partly reflect the age profile of prisoners. Most prisoners are aged between 18 and 34. The following table shows age group and ethnicity for 18-34 males and the proportion of the total male population.
	
		
			   Total  18-34  Percentage 
			 Male total 25,325,926 5,823,040 23 
			 White total 23,104,290 5,155,642 22 
			 Asian total 1,151,561 362,495 31 
		
	
	Prison data have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisons: Travelling People

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Shipley (Philip Davies) of 20 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 783-84W, on prisons: traveller days, if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance produced by his Department and by HM Prisons Service on traveller days.

Maria Eagle: No such document exists. Traveller days are local initiatives at individual prisons and, while supported in principle by HM Prison Service, they are not mandated and there is no central prescription or guidance about how they are organised.

Probation

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to improve standards of supervision of offenders in the community; and what assessment he has made of the likely effect of changes to the funding of the Probation Service on standards in each of the next three financial years.

Maria Eagle: The National Standards for the Management of Offenders were revised in 2007 and issued by the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice, my right hon. Friend the Member for Delyn (Mr. Hanson). Priorities and targets are set each year for the achievement of standards and mechanisms are in place for the monitoring and improvement of performance.
	Priorities for achievement of these standards are identified within the annual planning cycle and targets are set by NOMS for probation areas. Compliance with the National Standards and achievement of the targets is monitored monthly based upon an analysis of a sample of case files. This process is referred to as NSMART, taking its name from the spreadsheet into which the results are entered.
	The performance of each probation area is assessed and benchmarked quarterly as part of the integrated probation performance framework (IPPF). Performance reports are published quarterly. These have shown the National Probation Service consistently performing well against the standards and targets set.
	Where individual areas are identified as significantly under-performing, the Probation Performance Improvement Unit in NOMS initiates a targeted improvement programme, which includes an element of sharing of best practice across probation areas, and across related sectors.
	In addition, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation conducts area-based and thematic inspections of probation practice. A national programme of offender management inspections is ongoing at present. The Inspectorate reports to the Minister. Where areas' performance is below standard, an action plan is required of the area and a 12 month follow-up inspection is conducted.
	Probation areas have been informed of their budget allocation for 2008-09. Until January 2008-09 this was a flat cash allocation, but further resources were then made available amounting to a 2.7 per cent. increase to the main resource grant and an average 5.4 per cent. increase to the funding of approved premises.
	The service level agreements that specify how these resources are spent are not yet finalised.
	In addition to the increased budget allocation in January, a further allocation of 40 million for 2008-09 was announced in a written ministerial statement in March 2008
	'so that sentencers can be confident that the resources are in place to deliver effective community punishments.'

Probation

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what representations he has received from probation areas on resources to supervise unpaid work conditions.

Maria Eagle: Unpaid work is a successful community penalty providing a rigorous punishment and tangible benefits to communities.
	A number of probation areas have expressed general concerns about the level of resources. With regard to unpaid work specifically I am aware of a short-term difficulty in responding to demand in one area (Staffordshire) earlier this year and this has now been resolved.
	I have already increased funding by an average of 2.7 per cent. for 2008-09 and increased the approved premises budget by 5.4 per cent.
	The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice, my right hon. Friend the Member for Delyn (Mr. Hanson) announced, on 11 March, an additional 40 million to probation in 2008-09, so that sentencers can be confident that the resources are in place to deliver effective community punishments.

Probation Officers

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of trainee probation officers qualifying in  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2009, who will not be offered permanent employment as probation officers.

Maria Eagle: 563 trainee probation officers are due to qualify in 2008 and a further 553 are due to qualify in 2009. It is not possible to estimate how many may or may not be offered permanent employment as probation officers as this stage.
	In a letter to Chief Probation Officers on 22 February Roger Hill, Director of Probation announced that
	...additional resources have been allocated to probation, which will have the immediate effect of securing additional staff. This additional resource is specifically to promote community orders as an alternative wherever possible to short prison sentences.
	This 40 million was released to probation areas on 11 March and was in addition to the 2.3 per cent. already agreed as an increase for the financial year 2008-09.

Probation Officers

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many trainee probation officers from cohort 8 who qualified in September 2007 have not been offered employment;
	(2)  how many trainee probation officers from cohort 9 who are expected to qualify in September 2008 he expects will not be offered employment;
	(3)  how many trainee probation officers from cohort 10 who are expected to qualify in September 2009 he expects will not be offered employment;
	(4)  how many trainee probation officers there are in each of cohorts  (a) eight,  (b) nine and  (c) 10;
	(5)  what was or will be the cost of training a probation officer in  (a) cohort 8  (b) cohort 9 and  (c) cohort 10.

David Hanson: A breakdown of the number of trainees who have qualified or are expected to qualify in cohorts 8, 9 and 10 is contained in the following table. The table also details the number of students not offered permanent contracts as probation officers (POs) and the cost per student.
	In cohort 8, 60 (13 per cent.) newly qualified POs were not offered permanent jobs as probation officers. Of these 60 trainee graduates, 35 have been offered other employment within the Nation Probation Service including fixed term PO contracts, PSO roles pending a PO vacancy or other roles within the service. 25 have left the service (some by their own volition despite being offered employment as POs).
	A further 10 TPOs who qualified were originally offered temporary PO contracts which have now been made permanent.
	Cohort 9 TPOs will qualify in September 2008 and cohort 10 will qualify in September 2009. For these cohorts is not yet possible to be specific about how many will be offered permanent employment as probation officers.
	In a letter to Chief Probation Officers on 7 November 2007 Roger Hill, Director of Probation made explicit his expectation that areas would employ their graduating TPOs. This was reiterated in a subsequent letter on 22 February 2008 in which he announced that
	...additional resources have been allocated to probation, which will have the immediate effect of securing additional staff.
	
		
			  Cohort  Number of TPOs  Number not offered permanent PO contract  Cost of training per student (cost include university admin cost) () 
			 8 464 60 (13 per cent.) 36,167 
			 9 563 Unknown 36,227 
			 10 553 Unknown 37,000 (approx)

Prosecutions: Harassment

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many successful prosecutions there have been for criminal harassment since 2000.

Maria Eagle: The number of persons found guilty at all courts for the offence harassment of another, under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, s.2(l) and (2) in England and Wales for the years 2000 to 2006 can be found in the following table. This covers all forms of criminal harassment.
	Court proceedings data for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.
	
		
			  N umber of defendants found guilty at all courts for the offence of harassment of another in England and Wales, for the years 2000 to 2006( 1,2,3,4) 
			   Found guilty 
			 2000 2,852 
			 2001 2,704 
			 2002 2,764 
			 2003 2,907 
			 2004 3,211 
			 2005 3,521 
			 2006 3,638 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) The data relate to the following statute: Protection from Harassment Act 1997, s.2(l) and (2) (3) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Court proceedings data held by RDSOffice for Criminal Justice ReformMinistry of Justice

Public Order Offences: Young People

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he will publish data on the number of penalty notices for disorder issued to 10 to 15-year-olds in the six pilot police force areas; when the evaluation of the results of the pilot schemes commenced; and what steps he is taking to validate the evaluation process.

David Hanson: The evaluation report will be published as soon as possible. The evaluation began once the pilots had concluded in July 2006. It is standard scientific practice for the validation of an evaluation to be undertaken by submitting the report to independent academic peer review. This was done and some amendments made to the material in line with the reviewer's comments.

Radio Frequency Identification: Privacy

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance has been provided to public authorities by  (a) central Government and  (b) non-departmental public bodies on the privacy implications of using radio frequency identification chips.

Michael Wills: No guidance has been issued by central Government to public authorities on the privacy implications of using radio frequency identification (RFID) tags.
	In 2006, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) released two sets of guidance on this topic. One was aimed at individuals and the other at any business or organisation (public and private) that uses or is considering using the technology. In order to address any concerns about the impact on people's privacy, the guidance outlines the technology behind the tags, their current and potential uses, and how the Data Protection Act 1998 applies.
	The guidance is available on the ICO's website in its document library within the tools and resources section. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses with the permission of the ICO.

Trials: Newspaper Press

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has made an assessment of the effect that the reporting of the outcome of trials in local newspapers has on deterring criminal activity.

David Hanson: The Ministry of Justice has made no assessment of this. However, current knowledge suggests that a number of factors may be important in incentivising people not to commit crime:
	1. The perceived likelihood of detection and apprehension;
	2. The severity of sanction; and
	3. An awareness on the part of offenders and potential offenders of 1 and 2 and their ability to act on these.
	The most consistently reliable evidence suggests that the CJS most effectively deters crime by increasing the likelihood, or certainty, of punishment. It is therefore possible that reporting of the outcome of trials in the local press could in principle act as a deterrent but there is no rigorous research to demonstrate this one way or the other.

Vandalism

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) arrests,  (b) prosecutions and  (c) convictions there were for vandalism in (i) Ribble Valley constituency, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) England in each year since 2000.

Maria Eagle: The arrests collection undertaken by the Ministry of Justice provides data on persons arrested for recorded crime (notifiable offences), by age group, gender, ethnicity, and main offence group. Information is given in table 1 for Lancashire and England for the number of persons arrested for offences within the main offence group 'criminal damage'.
	Data showing the number of defendants proceeded against and found guilty of criminal damage are given in table 2. The Ministry of Justice is unable to identify cases involving vandalism since both the arrest and court appearance collections are on an offence basis and do not identify the circumstances behind the offences.
	Information is given in the tables for Lancashire and England. Data are not available at parliamentary constituency level.
	
		
			  Table 1:  N umber of persons arrested for recorded crime (notifiable offences) of criminal damage( 1)  in Lancashire and England, by period 
			  Period  Lancashire  England 
			 2000-01 3,757 121,600 
			 2001-02 4,808 120,800 
			 2002-03 4,593 123,100 
			 2003-04 6,036 134,500 
			 2004-05 6,627 148,800 
			 2005-06 7,035 156,800 
			 (1) Includes indictable offences for criminal damage and summary offences of criminal damage, 5,000 or less. (2) Estimated.  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrate s  courts and found guilty at all courts of criminal damage( 1)  in Lancashire and England, 2000 to 2006( 2) 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			  2000   
			 Lancashire 1,876 1,319 
			 England 53,080 35,322 
			
			  2001   
			 Lancashire 2,067 1,361 
			 England 53,541 34,734 
			
			  2002   
			 Lancashire 2,020 1,352 
			 England 55,681 36,337 
			
			  2003   
			 Lancashire 2,196 1,453 
			 England 57,099 37,979 
			
			  2004   
			 Lancashire 1,856 1,341 
			 England 56,347 40,220 
			
			  2005   
			 Lancashire 1,703 1,268 
			 England 53,635 39,933 
			
			  2006   
			 Lancashire 2,156 1,580 
			 England 52,736 40,333 
			 (1) Includes indictable offences for criminal damage and summary offences of criminal damage, 5,000 or less, and in addition offences under section 19 of the Allotments Act 122. (2) These data are on the principal offence basis.  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

TREASURY

Bank Services: Liechtenstein

Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the authorities in Liechtenstein on identification of British citizens seeking to evade UK taxes; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Suffolk, Coastal (Mr. Gummer) on 13 March 2008,  Official Report, column 541W.

Charities

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what fiscal measures the Government have taken to support charities.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 12 March 2008
	The Government continue to support charities through a range of tax reliefs for charitable giving worth over 3 billion per annum.
	The Budget announced a package of measures in response to the consultation on Gift Aid, including payment of Gift Aid at a transitional rate of 22 per cent. for three years.
	The Government also support charities, and the third sector more broadly, through a variety of non-fiscal measures, including 515 million of investment over the comprehensive spending review period (2008-09 to 2010-11), delivered through the Office of the Third Sector.

Departmental ICT

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) start date,  (b) original planned completion date,  (c) current expected completion date,  (d) planned cost and  (e) current estimated cost is for each information technology project being undertaken by his Department and its agencies; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: An updated list has been placed in the Library of the House of Commons for the Treasury and its agencies (except Office for National Statistics).

Departmental Temporary Employment

Pete Wishart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what average hourly rate his Department paid to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by employment agency.

Angela Eagle: The average hourly rate per agency is commercially sensitive and therefore cannot be disclosed. Data prior to 2004-05 are not held centrally.
	The overall average hourly rate per year is as follows:
	
		
			   Average hourly rate  () 
			 2007-08 17.05 
			 2006-07 19.25 
			 2005-06 21.58 
			 2004-05 20.50

Excise Duties: Shipping

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many responses have been received to the Government's consultation document, Energy Products DirectiveExpiry of the Derogation for Private Pleasure Boats: Consultation on the Options for Change; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the annual tax revenue that will be generated by the reduced rate of fuel duty for private pleasure boating when it is introduced from 1 November 2008, broken down by the type of vessel; and when he plans to announce the new rate of such duty;
	(3)  what revenue was generated from duty on red diesel in 2006-07, broken down by type of vessel and vehicle; and what revenue is forecast for  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09.

Angela Eagle: 515 responses to the consultation were received.
	A summary of responses and the Impact Assessment setting out the outcome of the consultation are available from the HMRC website. The Impact Assessment includes details of the duty rate and an initial estimate of the Exchequer impact of the changes.
	Information on the revenue raised from red diesel (gas oil) is available at the UK Trade Info website at:
	http://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=bulloil
	Table 3 shows fuel duty receipts from gas oil only, a breakdown by vessel and vehicle type is not available.
	The revenue forecast from fuel duty in 2007-08 and 2008-09 is published in Table C6 of the 2008 Budget report
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/budget/budget_08/report/bud_bud08_repindex.cfm
	A detailed breakdown by fuel type is not published.

Foreign Workers: West Midlands

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the number of migrant workers in  (a) Tamworth constituency,  (b) Staffordshire and  (c) the West Midlands in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 17 March 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on what the most recent estimate is of the number of migrant workers in (a) Tamworth constituency, (b) Staffordshire and (c) the West Midlands in each of the last five years. (193599)
	The Office for National Statistics compiles statistics on migrant workers for local areas from the Annual Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the Annual Population Survey (APS) . The National Statistics method for estimating the number of migrant workers employed in the UK is routinely based on the number of people at a given time who were born abroad, are of working age (16-64 for men, 16-59 for women), and in employment. This question has been answered on this basis. It means, for example, that some people who are UK nationals will be included in the total of foreign born and that people who are working but are above state pension age are not included.
	The table attached shows the numbers of working age in employment who were not born in the UK and were resident in Tamworth Parliamentary constituency, Staffordshire and the West Midlands. The figures cover, the twelve month periods ending in February for 2003 and, 2004 from the annual LFS, and ending in March for 2005, 2006, and 2007 as well as June 2007 from the APS. The July to June 2007 APS dataset is the most recent for which figures are available, whereas a consistent time series is best provided using March and February data.
	When interpreting these figures, it is important to bear in mind that the APS is not designed to cover everyone who is present in the UK. The survey may undercount the numbers of people who were born overseas. The reasons are set out in the table footnote.
	As these estimates are for a subset of the population in small geographical areas they are based on small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty.
	APS estimates at this detailed level are only available consistent with population estimates published in February and March 2003 and are not comparable with the estimates published in the Labour Market Statistics First Release on 13 February 2008, which are based on latest population estimates.
	
		
			  Number of non-UK born persons in employment in West Midlands, Staffordshire and Tamworth constituency in the last five years 
			  Thousand 
			   Migrant Workers( 1) 
			  12 months ending  West Midlands  Staffordshire  Tamworth 
			 February 2003 155 9 3 
			 February 2004 164 11 2 
			 March 2005 174 12 2 
			 March 2006 181 11 (2) 
			 March 2007 206 8 (2) 
			 June 2007 215 9 (2) 
			 (1) Includes males aged 16-64 and females aged 16-59. Does not include respondents who did not answer the question on country of birth. (2) Numbers in this cell are too small and could be disclosive.  Notes: 1. As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to margin of uncertainty. 2. It should also be noted that the country of birth question in the APS may undercount the number of people who were born overseas: it excludes certain people who have been resident in the UK for less than six months. it excludes students in halls who do not have a UK resident parent. it excludes people in most other types of communal establishments (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites, etc.). it is grossed to population estimates that exclude migrants staying for less than 12 months. microdata are grossed to population estimates consistent with those published in spring 2003, which are significantly lower than the latest population estimates.  Source: Annual Labour Force Survey/Annual Population Survey.

HM Revenue and Customs: Fraud

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 22 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1117W, on fraud in HM Revenue and Customs, how many of the investigations into suspected fraudulent activity which have been conducted since 1 April 2007 led to a prosecution.

Jane Kennedy: Prosecutions have led to two cases being concluded in the courts.

HM Revenue and Customs: Fraud

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 22 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1117W, on fraud in HM Revenue and Customs, if he will list the divisions of HM Revenue and Customs in which staff who were investigated for fraudulent activity in the last 12 months were employed.

Jane Kennedy: Personal issues are confidential and it would be inappropriate to comment.

Housing Benefit

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to publish the review into housing benefit announced in paragraph 4.14 of Budget 2008.

Jane Kennedy: Budget 2008 announced the Government's intention to undertake a comprehensive review of the housing benefit system. The Government will announce their findings in due course.

Income

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the distribution by household income decile of expenditure on  (a) tax credits and  (b) child benefit; and what the income ranges are of each household income decile.

Jane Kennedy: Estimates of the breakdown of entitlements to tax credits and child benefit in 2007-08 by household income decile are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Household income decile  Percentage  of all entitlements to tax credits  Percentage  of all entitlements to child benefit 
			 Bottom 20 10 
			 2 28 15 
			 3 18 12 
			 4 12 11 
			 5 9 10 
			 6 6 10 
			 7 4 9 
			 8 2 9 
			 9 1 7 
			 10 0 6 
		
	
	Household entitlements to tax credits and child benefit are modelled using Family Resources Survey data assuming 100 per cent. take-up of tax credits and income-related benefits, and are subject to sampling variation. Take up of tax credits is 82 per cent. for families with children and 96 per cent. for families with incomes of less than 10,000.
	This table is broadly consistent with household incomes by decile published in 'Households Below Average IncomeAn analysis of the income distribution 1994-95 to 2005-06, Table A2', but with assumed complete take-up of support tending to raise incomes at the low end of the distribution.

Income Stifling

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many responses he received to the consultation on the introduction of rules on income stifling; and how many of these were in favour of the proposed rules.

Jane Kennedy: By 28 February 2008, the formal closing date of the consultation Income shifting: a consultation on draft legislation, the Government had received 260 responses. The Government are continuing to review the detailed issues contained in the responses and will publish its formal response document in line with Cabinet Office guidelines.

Income Tax: Tax Yields

Stephen Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue would be raised by an additional one per cent. on the basic rate of income tax in the fiscal year  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09.

Jane Kennedy: The cost or yield from a 1p change in the basic rate of income tax is regularly published in the Tax ready reckoner and tax reliefs, copies of which are in the Library, and in Table 1.6 on the HM Revenue and Customs' website:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_expenditures/menu.htm
	An updated version of Table 1.6 reflecting changes announced in Budget 2007 which take effect from April 2008 is due to be published at the end of April.

Local Income Tax

Russell Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether HM Revenue and Customs have estimated the likely costs of collecting a local income tax that is  (a) nationally set and  (b) locally varied.

Yvette Cooper: Costs of collecting a local income tax depend on the details of the proposed scheme.
	No detailed estimates have been made.

Local Income Tax: Scotland

Russell Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether HM Revenue and Customs have had discussions with the Scottish Executive on arrangements for collection of a local income tax.

Yvette Cooper: No.

Local Income Tax: Scotland

Russell Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether HM Revenue and Customs have been asked by the Scottish Executive to  (a) estimate the costs and  (b) assess the feasibility of collecting a (i) nationally set and (ii) locally varied local income tax in Scotland.

Yvette Cooper: No.

Mortgages

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment  (a) his Department and  (b) the Financial Services Authority has made of the effect of the situation in the credit markets on the availability of re-mortgages to householders with mortgages with high loan to value ratios.

Angela Eagle: As set out in the Budget 2008, credit conditions facing households and companies have tightened as a result of the recent disruption in credit markets. Budget 2008 is accessible at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/budget/budget_08
	The 2008 Financial Risk Outlook published by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) presents the FSA's assessment of the effects of the current disruption in the credit markets. The Financial Risk Outlook is accessible at:
	http://www.fsa.gov.uk/

Public Sector: Job Creation

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many public sector jobs were created in each region in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 13 March 2008
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 17 March 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about how many public sector jobs were created in each region in each of the last 10 years. (193703)
	While statistics of new jobs created are not available explicitly, estimates from administrative sources and surveys enable comparisons to be made of net changes, in public sector employment by region, from year to year.
	The attached table gives the average annual levels and annual change of public sector employment by region from 1999, the earliest available, to 2006.
	These regional estimates are based on information published within 'Economic and Labour Market Review' Vol. 1 No. 3 March 2007 (pages 17 to 23) and are the most up to date available. They are not consistent with the UK estimates published in the most recent Public Sector Employment First Release (Quarter 3 2007), which is available via the following link:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/psel207.pdf
	The estimates provided are based on returns from public sector organisations, combined with approximate breakdowns from the Labour Force Survey for Wales and the English regions. As these figures are partly based on sample surveys, they are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Public sector employment( 1) : by region and country of workplace 
			  T housandseasonally adjusted 
			   North East  North West  Yorks and Humber  East Midlands  West Midlands 
			  Average level for:( 2)  
			 1999 238 594 441 321 435 
			 2000 230 642 461 316 429 
			 2001 244 664 440 320 449 
			 2002 252 661 460 330 467 
			 2003 252 681 497 340 468 
			 2004 263 676 496 368 477 
			 2005 261 684 493 361 496 
			 2006(5) 266 677 481 376 499 
			   
			  Annual change:  
			 1999-2000 -8 48 20 -5 -6 
			 2000-01 14 22 -21 4 20 
			 2001-02 8 -3 20 10 18 
			 2002-03 0 20 37 10 1 
			 2003-04 11 -5 -1 28 9 
			 2004-05 -2 8 -3 -7 19 
			 2005-06(6) 5 -7 -12 15 3 
		
	
	
		
			  T housandseasonally adjusted 
			   East  London  South East  South West  England 
			  Average level for:( 2)  
			 1999 414 711 630 427 4,210 
			 2000 428 675 639 451 4,271 
			 2001 431 707 644 457 4,355 
			 2002 440 725 644 473 4,453 
			 2003 469 712 671 486 4,576 
			 2004 487 740 697 483 4,688 
			 2005 470 752 707 522 4,746 
			 2006(5) 461 770 695 511 4,736 
			   
			  Annual change:  
			 1999-2000 14 -36 9 24 61 
			 2000-01 3 32 5 6 84 
			 2001-02 9 18 0 16 98 
			 2002-03 29 -13 27 13 123 
			 2003-04 18 28 26 -3 112 
			 2004-05 -17 12 10 39 58 
			 2005-06(6) -9 18 -12 -11 -10 
		
	
	
		
			  T housandseasonally adjusted 
			   Wales  Scotland( 3)  Great Britain  Northern Ireland( 4)  United Kingdom 
			  Average level for:( 2)  
			 1999 287 529 5,026 197 5,223 
			 2000 297 532 5,100 199 5,299 
			 2001 296 536 5,187 202 5,389 
			 2002 304 545 5,302 206 5,508 
			 2003 316 558 5,449 212 5,661 
			 2004 303 571 5,563 216 5,779 
			 2005 305 580 5,632 220 5,852 
			 2006(5) 312 583 5,630 221 5,851 
			   
			  Annual change:  
			 1999-2000 10 3 74 2 76 
			 2000-01 -1 4 87 3 90 
			 2001-02 8 9 115 4 119 
			 2002-03 12 13 147 6 153 
			 2003-04 -13 13 114 4 118 
			 2004-05 2 9 69 4 73 
			 2005-06(6) 7 3 -2 1 -1 
			 (1) Headcount. (2) Annual estimates are based four quarter averages for March (Q1). June (Q2). September (Q3) and December (Q4). For example the 1999 estimate is an average taken for the quarters Q1 1999 to Q4 1999. (3) Public sector employment estimates for Scotland are published by Scottish Executive (SE) on a quarterly basis back to Q1 1999 from administrative records and surveys of public sector organisations in Scotland. (4) Public sector statistics for Northern Ireland relate to the number of public sector jobs rather than the number of people working in the public sector. The percentages for Northern Ireland as a proportion of all employment will differ from DETINI estimates expressed as a proportion of all jobs. HM Forces figures are not Included in Northern Ireland estimates. (5) Estimates for 2006 have been produced using estimates from only the first three quarters. Q1. Q2. Q3 calendar quarter LFS microdata have been used to obtain regional splits (see section 'Use of LFS data for analysis of public sector employment' of 'Regional analysis of public sector employment' article in 'Economic and Labour Market Review' Vol 1 No 3 March 2007 (pages 17 to 23)). (6) The change for 2005-06 is a nine month change as data for 2006 Q4 are not available.  Sources: Labour Force Survey, returns from public sector organisations (ONS, Scottish Executive and Department of Enterprise. Trade and Investment for Northern Ireland (DETINI))

Revenue and Customs

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 17 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1431W, on HM Revenue and Customs, what criteria are used for categorising which form of postal service is used for the different types of mail HM Revenue and Customs dispatches.

Jane Kennedy: The criteria for determining which form of service is used by HMRC for the dispatch of post are selected locally, based on the individual circumstances of each case taking into account general guidance on HMRC postal arrangements. These postal arrangements are currently under review as part of the Departmental Transformation Programme.
	Since November 2007, HMRC has reminded staff of the appropriate data security procedures which must be followed at all times when handling data. These arrangements are being examined as part of the Poynter Review commissioned by the Chancellor (the interim findings of which were announced by the Chancellor on 17 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 612-23).

Revenue and Customs: Chorley

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the decision was reached to close the HM Revenue and Customs office in Chorley; who was consulted before the decision was taken; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs is reviewing all its accommodation to match it to future business needs and create significant efficiency savings. Initial proposals for restructuring its estate and business in any area are published for consultation with staff, unions and key external stakeholders, including hon. Members with a constituency interest and relevant local authorities. The results of the consultation exercise and of detailed feasibility work inform the final decisions.
	In the original proposals for restructuring its business and estate in the Preston/Blackpool urban centre the Chorley office was one of those proposed for retention. However, detailed feasibility work showed that the staff in Chorley could be accommodated in other offices where they could be co-located with larger teams, so increasing operational effectiveness as well as realising estate savings.

Revenue and Customs: Chorley

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many staff work at the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office in Chorley; and whether all those staff will be transferred to other HMRC offices following closure of the Chorley office;
	(2)  where the nearest HM Revenue and Customs office will be for people living in Chorley after the Chorley office closes.

Jane Kennedy: 77 staff work at the HMRC office in Lingmell House, Chorley, which houses an Enquiry Centre offering face-to-face advice to HMRC customers. The Enquiry Centre will remain either in Lingmell House or in a nearby location, so that the effect on customer service will be minimal.
	Business plans are for all staff, except those needed to staff the Enquiry Centre, to be transferred to other offices where they can be co-located with larger teams. Depending on the business stream in which staff work, they may be transferred to offices in Bootle, Manchester, Salford or Preston, but no one will be required to relocate beyond reasonable daily travel.

Revenue and Customs: Offices

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the Regional Review Programme of HM Revenue and Customs offices in smaller towns and cities across the UK to be completed and its recommendations produced.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 14 March 2008
	 HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) told its staff on 14 March that it will publish proposals for reorganising its offices in smaller towns and cities in the South East, East Midlands, West Midlands and North East on 19 March, and expects to announce proposals for the remaining locations by the end of May.
	Decisions on the future of these offices are expected to be published by the end of the year, following consultation and detailed feasibility work.

Revenue and Customs: Pay

David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria a civil servant in HM Revenue and Customs must fulfil to be  (a) considered for and  (b) awarded a bonus on top of their regular salary.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 7 March 2008
	In respect of the pay framework for the senior civil service, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 13 March 2008,  Official Report, column 537W.
	For other staff, individual performance is measured against objectives agreed for each performance year. 'Top performer' payments are made to staff who have exceeded these objectives and sustained very high levels of performance and behaviour. In addition, a small number of 'Good Performers' (i.e. those staff who have delivered the required levels of performance against their business and development objectives) receive a payment in addition to their basic pay award if they are on the maximum of their pay range.
	HMRC also operates a recognition bonus scheme which provides an immediate reward, outside the terms of the appraisal system, for the visible demonstration of exceptional performance during the delivery of particularly demanding tasks, projects or situations.

Revenue and Customs: Postal Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2008,  Official Report, column 339W, on Revenue and Customs: postal services, what guidance is provided to HM Revenue and Customs staff in deciding whether an item of post is sent by recorded post; and if he will place a copy of this guidance in the Library.

Jane Kennedy: Decisions about when to send items by recorded delivery are made locally based on the individual circumstances of each case and guidance of each business area.
	The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Smuggling: Firearms

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many firearms were intercepted at UK borders in each of the last five years.

Jane Kennedy: The following table provides data on the number of firearms seized by HM Revenue and Customs for the financial years 2002 to 2007. The figures do not include stun guns (electric shock devices) or self-defence sprays (pepper sprays and CS gas canisters) or parts of firearms.
	
		
			  Financial year  Number of firearms seized 
			 2002-03 264 
			 2003-04 293 
			 2004-05 381 
			 2005-06 759 
			 2006-07 376

Tax Credits Office: Labour Turnover

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average annual staff turnover has been in the Tax Credits Office since 2003.

Jane Kennedy: The information is not available in the format requested.
	The number of full time equivalent (FTE) staff deployed to tax credits work in Tax Credit Office (TCO) in each year was:
	
		
			   Number of FTE  (around) 
			 2003-04 2,500 
			 2004-05 2,500 
			 2005-06 3,100 
			 2006-07 3,700 
		
	
	These estimates take account of changes to organisational boundaries within the former Inland Revenue and HMRC over that time.
	There are currently just over 4,000 FTE working in TCO.

Tax Evasion

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the revenue lost to the Exchequer as a result of tax evasion in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: There are no robust estimates of the revenue lost specifically to tax evasion.

Tax Evasion

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many full-time equivalent members of staff in his Department work on tax evasion matters.

Jane Kennedy: HRMC has approximately 35,000 full-time equivalent staff allocated to compliance activities which include, for example, policy development, inquiries and investigations. These staff often operate in multifunctional teams, tackling non-compliant behaviour ranging from simple errors through to complex fraud and organised attacks. As a result, HMRC is not able to separately quantify the number of staff working on evasion matters.

Valuation Office

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Valuation Office Agency's automated valuation model is calibrated.

Jane Kennedy: Yes, not for a council tax revaluation but to maintain the investment that has been made in this technology and support the ongoing work of the Valuation Office Agency.

Valuation Office

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Valuation Office Agency's technical definition of a consequential is in relation to valuations of domestic properties.

Jane Kennedy: This is not a technical term. It has the same meaning as in the ordinary use of language.

Valuation Office: Digital Technology

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 23 January 2008,  Official Report, column 2099W, on the Valuation Office: digital technology, what the reasons were for the decision that it is not appropriate to place the guidance in the Library.

Jane Kennedy: The purpose of the Valuation Office Agency's best practice guide in the use of digital photography is to ensure that the performance of the Agency's computer system is not affected. As the guide is technical in nature and designed solely for use within the Agency, it is not considered appropriate to place it in the Library.

Valuation Office: Visits Abroad

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge of 5 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1057W, on HM Revenue and Customs: visits abroad, which overseas destinations were visited by Valuation Office Agency staff in the last 24 months; how many visits were made to each destination; what the purpose was of each visit; and what the cost was to the public purse of such visits.

Jane Kennedy: In the last 24 months, VOA staff have visited America, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand, Spain, France, China, Belgium, Finland, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Lithuania, Ireland and Hong Kong on official business.
	More detailed information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Valuation Office: Wales

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to extend the Valuation Office Agency's automated valuation model for council tax valuations and revaluations to Wales.

Jane Kennedy: The Valuation Office Agency is currently developing automated valuation model capabilities to support work in connection with the maintenance of the current (2005) council tax lists in Wales. This will increase both the overall efficiency of the Agency's work, and will deliver further improvements in customer service for taxpayers in Wales.

VAT: Housing Improvement

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance he has issued on whether the 5 per cent. VAT rate for the installation of energy-saving materials in homes can be applied to the  (a) installation costs and  (b) cost of a heat pump.

Jane Kennedy: Guidance on the scope of the reduced rate of VAT for the installation of energy-saving materials, including its application to heat pumps, can be found in HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Notice 708/6, Energy-saving materials which is available at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk

Welfare Tax Credits

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit awards were adjusted on 1 September 2007 on the assumption a 16 year old in the household had left full-time education; how many were permanently reduced; and how many were returned to previous levels because the child had remained in full-time education.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is available only at disproportionate cost.

Welfare Tax Credits

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what reports on the tax credit system have been prepared by the Office of Government Commerce;  (a) when and  (b) why each was commissioned; and on what dates he received them.

Jane Kennedy: Six OGC Gateway Reports have been completed on the New Tax Credits Programme:
	One Gate 3 (Investment Decision) 22 January 2002 to 25 January 2002;
	Four Gate 4s (Readiness for Service) from 3 December to 5 December 2002, 7 October 2003 to 10 October 2003, 15 March 2004 to 18 March 2004, 21 March 2005 to 24 March 2005 respectively; and
	One Gate 5 (Benefits Realisation) from 25 September 2006 to 28 September 2006.

Welfare Tax Credits

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent on training staff in the Tax Credit Office whose main duties were (a) operating telephone helplines, (b) processing applications and awards and (c) other duties in each financial year since 2003; and how many days training on average each category of staff received in each of those years.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested would be available only at a disproportionate cost.

Welfare Tax Credits

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in the Tax Credit Office received training in each year since 2003; and for how many days on average in each year.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is available only at disproportionate cost.

Welfare Tax Credits

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many manual payments of tax credits were made in each quarter since 2003.

Jane Kennedy: Information about the number of tax credits payments made manually up to and including January 2007 was provided in an answer to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 27 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 1513-14W. Quarterly information for 2007 is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Quarter ending (2007)  Number of payments (thousand) (around) 
			 31 March 154 
			 30 June 99 
			 30 September 100 
			 31 December 102

Welfare Tax Credits

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit cases were referred to the Adjudicator's Office in each quarter since 2003.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the Adjudicator's annual report for 2007 which is available at:
	http://www.adjudicatorsoffice.gov.uk/pdf/report2007.pdf

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the value of tax credit overpayments was in each month since April 2003; how many overpayments were written off in each of those months; at what cost in each quarter during that period; and what the average amount of overpayment written off in each of those quarters was.

Jane Kennedy: Tax credit over and underpayments are established after renewal at finalisation. Information relating to overpayments is therefore accounted for on a tax year basis.
	Information on the number of awards with an overpayment of tax credits, including value, in 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 is produced in the HMRC publications Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Annual Awards. Supplement on Payments In. for each relevant year. These publications are available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-quarterly-stats.htm
	The amount of tax credit overpayments written off up to 5 April 2007 and the cost of managing and paying child and working tax credits are shown in note 8.2 and 3 of the Trust Statement to the HM Revenue and Customs Accounts for 2005-06 and 2006-07. These reports are available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/reports.htm

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many instances of recovery of overpayments or excess payments have been disputed by tax credit recipients in each year since 2003;
	(2)  how many TC846 forms have been received by HM Revenue and Customs in each year since 2003;
	(3)  how many tax credit overpayment cases were reviewed at the request of the recipient in each quarter since April 2003; and what proportion of these reviews led to  (a) some and  (b) all of the overpayment being written off;
	(4)  how many times the Tax Credit Office wrote off an overpayment in each year since 2003 because  (a) of official error where it was reasonable for the recipient to think the award was correct and  (b) it would have caused hardship to have recovered (i) all and (ii) part of the overpayment.

Jane Kennedy: Customers can ask HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to reconsider a decision to ask them to repay their overpaid tax credits by writing to the Department or by completing a form (TC846) that is provided for that purpose. HMRC do not separately count the number of requests made specifically using the TC846.
	Overpayments were only identified after April 2004 when HMRC started finalising awards for 2003-04. The Department began considering disputed overpayments in June 2004.
	For the numbers of disputes received and written off either in part or in full up to and including August 2006, I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave him on 10 October 2006,  Official Report, column 736W. Figures for each quarter ended 30 September 2006 to 31 December 2007 inclusive are shown as follows:
	
		
			  Quarter ending  Number of disputes received (around) 
			 30 September 2006 96,000 
			 31 December 2006 82,500 
			 31 March 2007 61,000 
			 30 June 2007 43,000 
			 30 September 2007 46,000 
			 31 December 2007 62,000 
		
	
	
		
			  Quarter ending  Number written off either in whole or in part (around) 
			 30 September 2006 2,800 
			 31 December 2006 2,400 
			 31 March 2007 1,550 
			 30 June 2007 1,300 
			 30 September 2007 700 
			 31 December 2007 1,800 
			  Note:  The figures for overpayments written off do not directly relate to those disputes that were received in the same period. TCO does not separately record whether an overpayment is written off in part or in full. 
		
	
	For the most recent information about the number of overpayments written off in cases of hardship, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Julia Goldsworthy) on 13 December 2007,  Official Report, column 825W.

Working Tax Credit: Foreigners

Adam Holloway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of foreign nationals who are not allowed recourse to public funds but who are receiving working tax credits.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not available. Persons whose right to enter or remain in the UK restricts them from accessing public funds are not generally entitled to tax credits. This follows long standing Government policy.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

LEAs: Performance

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to monitor the performance of local education authorities in discharging their functions.

Jim Knight: The performance of local authorities in the delivery of services for children and young people is assessed annually by Ofsted. They also undertake with other inspectorates a programme of Joint Area Reviews of services provided by all partners in an area. Government Offices and associated field forces, and the National Strategies in respect of standards of attainment, provide ongoing differentiated support and challenge to local authorities.

Early Intervention

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions he had on his visit to Seagrave Primary School in Nottingham on the role of the social and emotional aspects of the learning programme as part of an early intervention strategy in deprived areas.

Edward Balls: I acknowledged the importance of social and emotional learning for all young children. The Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) programme is a universal programme from which all children and young people can potentially benefit, and it can be of particular benefit when they have a significant lack of social and emotional skills.

AS-levels

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make a statement on the future of the AS-level qualification.

Jim Knight: A-levels are long-established and valued qualifications. We will review, in 2013, the evidence and experience following the introduction of all 17 of the new Diplomas to see how the overall range of qualifications meets the needs of young people and supports their progression into further study and employment. We will consider the future of A levels, including AS levels, in the light of this evidence.

Standards of Attainment

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent assessment he has made of levels of educational attainment in schools in Northamptonshire and England against international benchmarks.

Jim Knight: There have been significant improvements in educational achievement at Key Stages 2 and 3. Schools in Northamptonshire have improved broadly in line with national average.
	We cannot make direct comparisons of schools in an international context. Recent PIRLS and PISA studies found that children and young people in England performed above the international average in reading in primary and science in secondary and around the international average for mathematics and reading in secondary.

Team Sports

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to encourage team sports in schools.

Kevin Brennan: We are firmly in favour of competitive school sport. Increasing the quality and amount of competitive school sport is a key aim of the Government's PE and Sport strategy. The 2006/07 School Sport Survey showed that:
	98 per cent. of schools held a competitive sports day;
	58 per cent. of pupils were involved in intra-school competition; and
	35 per cent. of all pupils were involved in inter-school competition.
	We are introducing a National School Sport Week and, from January 2009, a national network of Competition Managers, covering every school in the country, will be in place.

Admissions Process

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the performance of the schools admissions system in the East Midlands; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: As part of our recent analysis of published admission arrangements for 2008 in three local authorities to assess the level of compliance with the School Admissions Code, we looked at the arrangements for Northamptonshire. We have written to the local authority, and to the governing bodies of voluntary aided and foundation schools who appear not to have complied with the Code or the law, to ask them to verify what we have found. When this process is complete we will make a further statement.

IT Projects

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department has spent on IT projects in 2007-08.

Kevin Brennan: Subject to final outcomes, the Department expects to spend 98 million on IT projects in the 2007-08 financial year. This figure includes a wide range of investments in both the Department's internal systems and major IT-enabled policy initiatives. For example, the Department takes the cross-government lead on implementing ContactPoint, which has a budget of 76 million for this period.

Building Schools for the Future

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the timetable is for the Building Schools for the Future programme; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Building Schools for the Future aims that by 2020 all secondary schools in England will be refurbished or rebuilt, in 15 waves of investment. So far, we have launched six waves, and we have given all local authorities a broad indication of the order of their projects. This information is in the House Library. We intend to consult on the management of waves seven to 15 this year.

Binge Drinking

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has to provide information on the effects of binge drinking to school pupils; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: We are committed to reducing substance misuse and related harm among young people, including that associated with binge drinking and alcohol misuse. Alcohol education is delivered alongside drugs education, and DCSF guidance is clear that pupils' education about alcohol and its effects should start in primary school, before drinking patterns become established, and should be revisited as pupils' understanding and experience increases. Government are communicating information about risks associated with drinking to young people through the Know Your Limits and FRANK campaigns.

Part-Time Jobs: Schoolchildren

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of schoolchildren working 20 or more hours a week in part-time jobs.

Kevin Brennan: The Department does not collect this information for children of compulsory school age, nor do we have a reliable estimate. The law prohibits such children from working more than 12 hours a week during term time. There are other legal restrictions on child employment; for example, concerning the number of hours each day and the types of occupation in which children may be employed. Employers who contravene the rules may be fined.

Academies

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many expressions of interest for an academy have been received by his Department since the academies programme began; and how many have been approved.

Jim Knight: From March 2000 to the end of February 2008, 179 expressions of interest had been approved. A further three academy proposals have won competitions for proposed new and replacement schools.
	At any particular time a range of discussions on potential academy projects will be going on between the Office of the Schools Commissioner, local authorities and potential sponsors. Most of these will lead to formal expressions of interest, but others will not be taken forward as academy projects.

Academies: Teaching Methods

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of academic lessons are set by ability.

Jim Knight: Our current datawhich are taken from Ofsted inspection reportsdo not enable us to count or estimate how many lessons in England are set by ability.
	Ofsted collects data on the use of streaming and setting in lessons observed during inspection. Before September 2005, inspectors were usually informed about how classes were organised by means of pre-inspection documentation, discussion with head teachers or teachers' schemes of work or lesson plans. Under the inspection arrangements at that time, all full-time teachers were observed by inspectors. Since September 2005, the recording of class organisation has been based either on discussions with the head teacher or teacher or by reference to the lesson plan at the time of observation. A much smaller number of lessons are observed than would have been seen under the previous inspection framework; therefore, lessons seen may not represent pupil grouping in the school as a whole.
	Prior to 2003-04 lessons were recorded as being setted, streamed, mixed ability or otherwise organised. For clarity, setting is the term used to describe the organisation of pupils in classes on the basis of their prior attainment in the particular subject being taught. The term banding, which is very similar to streaming, is used when the decision as to which pupils are included or not in a class is based on the prior attainment in a range of subjects.
	From 2003-04 the distinction between streaming and setting was removed and instead data recorded on whether the class was mixed ability or setted/streamed.
	The data here described for each year between 1996-97 and 2006-07 were included in the answer given in August 2007 to the hon. Gentleman's parliamentary question number 153953. HMCI Christine Gilbert also wrote to him in February of this year to inform him that there was an error in the figures given for 2005-06 and 2006-07, and the correct figures for the two years were included in that letter.

Building Schools for the Future Programme

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many Building Schools for the Future projects have been completed in each local authority.

Jim Knight: Building Schools for the Future is a long-term educational investment programme that gives local authorities the opportunity to rebuild, refurbish or remodel groups of schools across their entire estate. As such, no local authorities have yet completed their project; the first ones are due for completion in 2009. However, the programme is now making good progress; 72 authorities are now involved in waves one to six. A further 40 authorities are receiving funding for a single school project. Together with academies, a total of around 1,000 secondary schools are currently developing plans for modernisationalmost a third of the total secondary school estate.
	11 schools have been opened to date, and a 12(th) is anticipated by the end of March. It is expected that a further 35 schools will be completed in the financial year 2008-09.
	The schools that are currently open are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Local authority  School 
			 Solihull Solihull Centre for Inclusive Learning(1) 
			 Newcastle All Saints College(1) 
			 South Tyneside and Gateshead Bamburgh School(1) 
			 Sheffield Chaucer Business Enterprise College(1) 
			 Sunderland Oxclose School(1) 
			 Haringey Sixth Form Centre(1) 
			 Bristol Bristol Brunei Academy(2) 
			 Lambeth Elmgreen School(3) 
			 Stoke Birches Head High School(1) 
			 Stoke Sandon High School(1) 
			 Lambeth The Michael Tippett school 
			 (1) Relates to quick wins schools. (2) The first BSF school opened through a LEP. (3) Elmgreen School is new provision that has opened in temporary buildings. 
		
	
	Building Schools for the Future projects have reached financial close in the following local authorities: Bradford, Bristol, Greenwich, Knowsley, Lambeth, Lancashire (phase 1 and 2), Leeds, Leicester, Lewisham, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield, Solihull, South Tyneside and Gateshead and Waltham Forest.

Building Schools for the Future Programme: Finance

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how much capital funding has been provided by each local authority for each school in its area under construction under the Building Schools for the Future programme;
	(2)  which local authority areas Partnership for Schools has provided more capital funding for local authority schools than for academies in each year from 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the funding which has been provided to local authorities for schools currently under construction in the Building Schools for the Future programme. In addition, local authorities may contribute funds from other sources.
	
		
			  Local Authority  Parliamentary constituency  Schools under construction  Funding provided for schools under construction ( million)( 1) 
			 Bradford Shipley Salt 2.8 
			  Bradford South Tong  
			  Bradford South Buttershaw  
			 
			 Bristol Bristol East Brislington 2.8 
			  Bristol South Hartcliffe  
			  Bristol East Whitefield  
			 
			 Lewisham Lewisham West Sedgehill 6.4 
			  Lewisham East Catford  
			 
			 Sheffield Sheffield Heeley Newfield 13.8 
			  Sheffield Hallam Silverdale  
			  Sheffield Heeley Talbot  
			  Sheffield Brightside Yewlands  
			 
			 Knowsley Knowsley South St Edmund Canterbury 0 
			  Knowsley South Halewood  
			  Knowsley South Prescott  
			 
			 Lancashire Burnley Pendle Vale 0.7 
			  Burnley Pendle Vale special  
			  Burnley Shuttleworth  
			  Pendle Burnley Sixth form  
			  Burnley Sir John Thursby  
			  Burnley Sir John Thursby special  
			 
			 Leeds Leeds North East Allerton Grange 29.9 
			  Leeds North East Allerton High  
			  Leeds Central Cockburn  
			  Pudsey Pudsey Grangefield  
			  Morley and Rothwell Rodillian  
			  Leeds East Temple Moor High  
			 
			 Leicester Leicester West Beaumont Leys 38 
			  Leicester West Fullhurst  
			  Leicester East Soar Valley  
			  Leicester East Judgemeadow  
			 
			 Manchester Manchester Gorton Cedar Mount 94.9 
			  Manchester Blackley Our Lady's  
			  Manchester Blackley St. Matthew's  
			  Wythenshawe and Sale East Newall Green  
			  Wythenshawe and Sale East St. Pauls  
			  Manchester Gorton Melland  
			  Manchester, Blackley Meade Hill  
			  Wythenshawe and Sale East Piper Hill  
			  Manchester, Withington Southern Cross  
			 
			 Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne Thomas Bewick 9.9 
			  North Newcastle upon Tyne and Wallsend Benfield  
			  Newcastle upon Tyne Central Kenton  
			  Newcastle upon Tyne North Walbottle  
			 
			 Solihull Meriden Park Hall 15.1 
			  Meriden Smith's Wood  
			  Meriden The Archbishop Grimshaw  
			  Meriden Lanchester  
			 
			 Waltham Forest Walthamstow Frederick Bremer 17.2 
			  Walthamstow Whitefield  
			  Walthamstow Williams Morris  
			  Walthamstow Kelmscott  
			  Walthamstow Walthamstow Girls  
			  Walthamstow Holy Family  
			  Walthamstow Willowfield  
			 
			 Lambeth Vauxhall Dulwich and Park Campus 25 
			  West Norwood West Norwood (temporary)  
			  Dulwich and West Norwood Elm Court  
			 
			 Durham City of Durham Durham Johnston 8.8 
			 
			 Kent Gravesham Ifield 5.7 
			 (1) Funding shown in the table does not include allocations for PFI projects as these become payable when construction is completed.

Classroom Assistants: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teaching assistants were employed in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in Tamworth in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the number of full-time equivalent teaching assistants employed in local authority maintained primary and secondary schools in Tamworth constituency, in each January from 1998 to 2007.
	
		
			  Full-time equivalent teaching assistants( 1)  employed in local authority maintained primary and secondary schools in Tamworth constituency, in each January from 1998 to 2007 
			   Teaching assistants( 1) 
			   Primary  Secondary 
			 1998 90 10 
			 1999 90 20 
			 2000 100 20 
			 2001 110 20 
			 2002(2) 80 30 
			 2003 140 30 
			 2004 150 30 
			 2005 160 40 
			 2006 170 50 
			 2007 170 50 
			 (1) Includes teaching assistants, special needs support staff and minority ethnic pupil support staff. (2) A change of school census collection method in 2002 may have caused some discontinuity in time series data.  Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census

Council for Learning Outside the Classroom

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom last met.

Jim Knight: An interim National Advisory Group has met six times since November 2006 and last met on 28 February. This group, representing more than 900 signatories to the Manifesto for Learning Outside the Classroom, is working with the Department to shape the new council which is expected to be formally constituted by the end of the year.

Departmental Translation Services

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what documents his Department, associated agencies and non-departmental public bodies translate for people in the UK who do not speak English.

Kevin Brennan: The Department for Children, Schools and Familiesand, prior to this department's establishment in June 2007, the Department for Education and Skillsspent the following on translation services:
	
		
			   
			 (a) 2003-04 166,379 
			 (b) 2004-05 130,664 
			 (c) 2005-06 170,252 
			 (d) 2006-07 89,705 
			 (e) 2007-08 (1)3,425 
			 (1) to date 
		
	
	The Department considers translating its documents according to their specific content, purpose and target audience. For example, it might consider offering translations for those communities who face high levels of social exclusion and are less likely to be fluent and literate in English.
	The Department's frameworks for translation services are accessed by some of its non-departmental bodies, but records of usage are not held centrally.

Education: Devon

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of additional places in schools for further education and apprenticeships which will be needed in  (a) England and  (b) Devon if the school leaving age is increased to 18 by 2013.

Jim Knight: The Green Paper Raising Expectations: staying in education and training post-16, published proposals for the education and training leaving age to be raised in two stages with the participation age not being raised to 18 until 2015. It contained projected participation numbers for 16 and 17-year-olds broken down into provision type. In 2013/14 there were projected to be an additional 5,000 places needed in schools, 13,000 places needed in FE and HE, and 48,000 additional work-based learning places, which include apprenticeships.
	The Department has not carried out detailed analysis of this at a local level. Demographic changes will vary between local areas, of course, as will the nature of demand from young people, and local authorities will need to use their own projections to plan accordingly.

English Language: General Certificate of Secondary Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils were entered for WJEC English GCSE in each year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The numbers and proportions of pupils entered for GCSE English from 1993/94 to 2006/07 are given in the following table.
	Figures relating to just WJEC examinations can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Number and proportion of pupils entered for English and English Literature from 1993/94 to 2006/07 
			   Number of 15-year-old pupils  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject 
			  English
			 2007 656,432 612,679 93.3 
			 2006 648,942 606,615 93.5 
			 2005 636,771 593,637 93.2 
			 2004 643,560 597,621 92.9 
			 2003 622,122 577,427 92.8 
			 2002 606,554 560,199 92.4 
			 2001 603,318 555,392 92.1 
			 2000 580,393 533,227 91.9 
			 1999 580,972 530,173 91.3 
			 1998 575,210 519,983 90.4 
			 1997 586,766 533,348 90.9 
			 1996 594,035 538,780 90.7 
			 1995 578,197 524,333 90.7 
			 1994 532,273 482,750 90.7 
			 
			  English Literature
			 2007 656,432 519,040 79.1 
			 2006 648,942 523,548 80.7 
			 2005 636,771 521,098 81.8 
			 2004 643,560 529,716 82.3 
			 2003 622,122 516,886 83.1 
			 2002 606,554 500,808 82.6 
			 2001 603,318 493,265 81.8 
			 2000 580,393 469,693 80.9 
			 1999 580,972 464,612 80.0 
			 1998 575,210 449,046 78.1 
			 1997 586,766 458,604 78.2 
			 1996 594,035 455,172 76.6 
			 1995 578,197 437,087 75.6 
			 1994 532,273 392,181 73.7 
			 Figures relate to 15-year-olds (age at start of academic year, i.e. 31 August) in all schools.

GCE A-Level

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils took two or more A-levels of the subjects, accounting, art and design, business studies, communication studies, dance, design and technology, drama and theatre studies, film studies, health and social care, home economics, information and communication technology, leisure studies, media studies, music technology, performance studies, performing arts, photography, physical education, sports studies and travel and tourism in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: 23,845 pupils took two or more of the subjects listed at GCE/VCE A Level in 2006-07. This is 10.2 per cent. of pupils taking GCE/VCE A- Levels.
	This figure relates to 16 to 18-year-olds (age at start of academic year, i.e. 31 August 2006) in all schools.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of pupils gained five GCSEs at A* to C including English and mathematics and excluding statistics, humanities, physical education, media/television/film studies, psychology, law and sociology and GCSE equivalents in 2007.

Jim Knight: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what the gap was between the highest and lowest achieving school in terms of numbers of pupils attaining five A* to C GCSEs including English and mathematics in each education authority in 2007;
	(2)  what variation there was between the best and worst results  (a) at key stage 2,  (b) at key stage 3 and  (c) against the target of five A* to C grades at GCSE.

Jim Knight: The achievements of schools in 2003/04 onwards can be found in the Achievement and Attainment Tables in the Library. The tables for previous years can be found on the DCSF website at the following link:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/performancetables.

Gifted Children

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families by what method gifted and talented pupils are defined by his Department.

Jim Knight: I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Altrincham and Sale, West (Mr. Brady) on 5 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1097W.

Gifted Children: GCE A-Level

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many gifted and talented pupils gained three A grades at A-level in 2007;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of gifted and talented pupils of the appropriate age took A-levels in 2007;
	(3)  how many and what proportion of gifted and talented pupils of the appropriate age did not go on to study A-levels in the last year for which data are available;
	(4)  how many gifted and talented pupils of the appropriate age gained no GCSEs in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(5)  what proportion of gifted and talented pupils of the appropriate age achieved five A* to C GCSE grades including English, mathematics, science and a foreign language in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(6)  how many gifted and talented pupils received a fixed term exclusion in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(7)  how many gifted and talented pupils received a permanent exclusion in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Health Education: Sex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the career of each member of the review of sex and relationship education has been to date; what criteria were used in selecting them; if he will make it a requirement that the review  (a) hears evidence from pro-life and pro-choice experts and  (b) appoints a balance of pro-life and pro-choice advisers; how (i) hon. Members and (ii) members of the public may submit comments to the review; if he will place in the Library material published by the review; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The names and job titles/positions of the people that have been invited to oversee the review of sex and relationships education (SRE) in schools, are set out as follows. Members were selected on the basis that they have either: expert knowledge on the delivery of SRE; expert knowledge on young people's sexual health; or represent groups who have a key interest in the outcome of the review.
	The Steering Group therefore includes: professionals who plan and deliver SRE programmes in schools; senior managers and governors who have overall responsibility for the SRE programmes that schools deliver; experts in young people's sexual health; representatives of faith organisations; and young people themselves.
	Members of the Steering Group have not been selected with regard to their attitudes to abortion, but we believe that different shades of opinion are represented on the Group.
	We are considering how to extend opportunities for individuals and organisations which are not represented on the steering group to feed ideas and comments into the review, and will announce decisions on this issue shortly. Any material that is published will be placed in the House of Commons Library.
	 SRE review steering group: membership
	Jim Knight (co-chair)
	Jackie Fisher (co-chair)principal, Newcastle college
	Joshua McTaggart (co-chair)member of UK Youth Parliament
	John FreemanDirector of Children' Services, Dudley
	Hazel Pulleyprimary school head teacher, Leicester
	Hilda Hodsonsecondary school deputy head teacher, Wigan
	Charlie Wareschool governor, Camden
	Desmond Floodschool PSHE co-ordinator, Birmingham
	Annie Hargreaveslocal authority adviser on PSHE and healthy schools, Hounslow
	Anna Martinezhead of sex education forum
	Chris McDermottschool nurse manager, Surrey
	Professor Roger InghamUniversity of Southampton
	Gill Franceshead of child development, National Children's Bureau
	Simon Blakechief executive, Brook
	Jan CampbellPSHE Subject Association
	Margaret JonesOfsted PSHE lead
	Gareth DaviesTerrence Higgins Trust
	Oona StannardCatholic Education Service
	Rev'd David WhittingtonChurch of England National Society
	Anthea CoxMethodist church
	Shaila Sheikhlocal authority education equalities adviser, East Sussex
	David KestertonManager of fpa's 'Speakeasy' programme
	Robert Sassoonmember of UK Youth Parliament
	Katrina MatherMember of UK Youth Parliament

Institute of Education: Finance

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 8541-2W, on Institute of Education: finance, what assessment he has made of the recent report of the Institute on the teaching of patriotism in schools; what plans he has to review the level of funding to the Institute; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department noted the findings of the recent report on the teaching of patriotism in schools by the Institute of Education. We believe that the engagement of young people in society and their understanding of what it is to be a citizen is central to creating a diverse but cohesive country. There are opportunities within the revised citizenship programmes of study for secondary schools for pupils to explore what it means to be British as part of a wider discussion of their identities, and the values associated with them.
	The Department has no current plans to review the level of funding to the Institute of Education.

Parental Contributions

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many parental contribution orders have been made in the last 12 months; what the value of contributions to be made under them was; how many contributions have been made; and what value of contributions has been made.

Beverley Hughes: Information about the making of contribution orders, made in accordance with Part 3 of Schedule 2 of the Children Act 1989, is not collected centrally.

Primary Education: Closures

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many village primary schools have been closed since 1998.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the number of rural primary schools that have closed between 1998 and 2007.
	
		
			   Number of rural school closures( 1) 
			 1998 5 
			 1999 2 
			 2000 2 
			 2001 3 
			 2002 5 
			 2003 12 
			 2004 9 
			 2005 8 
			 2006 7 
			 2007 8 
			 (1 )Figures show actual school closures and do not include school amalgamations (eg. infant and junior schools amalgamating on one site).

Primary Education: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children at key stage 1 in Tamworth were taught in classes of 31 pupils or more in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2007.

Jim Knight: The information can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  Maintained primary schools( 1) : number and percentage of pupils in key stage 1 classes( 2,3) position in January: 1997 and 2007Tamworth parliamentary constituency 
			   Key stage 1 classes 
			   1997  2007( 4) 
			 Number of pupils in class 3,506 2,452 
			 Number of pupils in classes of 31 or more pupils 493 0 
			 Percentage of pupils in classes of 31 or more pupils 14.1 0.0 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Class as taught in a selected period on the day of the census in January. (3) Classes taught by one teacher. (4) Also includes reception classes.  Source: School Census

Pupils: Hay Fever

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what work his Department  (a) has undertaken and  (b) plans to undertake on provision of clinical care to children with hay fever in schools; and what measures are in place to ensure that such children receive appropriate medication during the examination season.

Jim Knight: The Department has no plans to develop the provision of clinical care to children with hay fever in schools.
	Schools and their employers have responsibilities towards the health and safety of all staff and pupils, and this may include making arrangements for individual pupils with medical needs, where it is reasonable to do so. There is, however, no legal duty on school staff to manage a pupil's medicine or support a child's medical need.
	Schools and their employers are responsible for developing their own policies on managing pupils' medicines and supporting children with medical needs. This should be developed in light of their assessment of local needs and resources.
	Managing Medicines in Schools and Early Years Settings, published in 2005 jointly by the then Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Health, was written to help schools to develop such policies. This guidance suggests that it is good practice to support and encourage children, who are able, to take responsibility to manage their own medicines.
	The Joint Council for Qualifications seeks to take into account a range of different conditions and circumstances which can affect performance in examinations. Under present arrangements, candidates who suffer from hay fever on the day of an examination may apply via their examination centre for special consideration, which can result in an increase in their marks by up to 2 per cent., depending on the circumstances.

Pupils: Personal Records

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which public authority oversees the allocation of unique pupil numbers to each child in state education.

Jim Knight: The Department is responsible for the policy on UPN allocation. The responsibility for allocating unique pupil numbers (UPNs) lies with schools and local authorities (LAs).

Recreation Spaces: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which local authorities  (a) were invited to and  (b) submitted a bid to become a play pathfinder; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The following 65 local authorities in England have been invited to bid to become play pathfinders. They are listed by region. Almost all authorities invited to submit a bid will be doing so. DCSF will be considering bids shortly.
	 Statement
	15 local authorities will be selected as play pathfinders from April 2008. Successful bids will demonstrate proposals for safe, inclusive play areas that offer exciting and stimulating opportunities and sit within a wider strategic approach to deliver a sustainable and far-reaching play agenda. The bids will also clearly demonstrate how local authorities will work with children, their local communities and local MPs.
	Play pathfinders will each receive around 2 million capital funding plus significant revenue funding. These play pathfinders will work with children, young people and their communities to develop innovative play sites with challenging equipment and natural landscapes, which will give all children the opportunity to play actively outdoors. The play sites will also be accessible for disabled children. The bids should include plans for building a new staffed adventure playground, with indoor and outdoor facilities, specifically aimed at improving play opportunities for eight to 13-year-olds where they currently lack places to go and things to do, and often in disadvantaged areas.
	Any of the 65 local authorities who are unsuccessful in becoming a pathfinder, but who submit satisfactory bids, will be offered capital funding of approximately 1 million to become 'playbuilders', to develop public play areas, with the first allocations starting April 2008. This will support our aim of developing up to 3,500 public play areas by 2011. By 2010 all local authorities will have been offered capital funding and a chance to be a part of this agenda in partnership with their local communities.
	A second round of pathfinder bidding will take place autumn 2008 and this will be open for all local authorities to apply. A further 15 play pathfinders will be selected so that by 2011, 30 pathfinders in total will deliver 30 new adventure playgrounds.
	 List of 65 local authorities in England invited to bid to become play pathfinders
	 North East
	Durham
	Gateshead
	Middlesbrough
	Newcastle
	North Tyneside
	Northumberland
	Stockton
	Sunderland
	 North West
	Blackburn with Darwen
	Blackpool
	Bolton
	Bury
	Halton
	Knowsley
	Lancashire
	Rochdale
	Sefton
	Thameside
	 Yorkshire and Humberside
	Calderdale
	East Riding
	Kirklees
	Rotherham
	 East Midlands
	Derby
	Leicester
	Lincolnshire
	Northamptonshire
	Nottingham
	Nottinghamshire
	 West Midlands
	Coventry
	Dudley
	Solihull
	Staffordshire
	Wolverhampton
	Worcestershire
	East Cambridge
	Luton
	Peterborough
	Southend
	Suffolk
	Thurrock
	 South East
	East Sussex
	Hampshire
	Oxfordshire
	Portsmouth
	Reading
	Slough
	Southampton
	 South West
	Bath and North East Somerset
	Bristol
	Cornwall
	Plymouth
	Somerset
	 London
	Brent
	Camden
	Croydon
	Enfield
	Hackney
	Islington
	Kensington and Chelsea
	Lambeth
	Lewisham
	Redbridge
	Southwark
	Tower Hamlets

Schools: Admissions

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which schools in the maintained schools category have been levying charges on applicants to the school in the last 12 months; and what the type and religious category is of each.

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families further to the written ministerial statement of 11 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 3-4WS, on school admissions and parental preferences for 2008 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of  (a) voluntary aided and  (b) foundation schools which were not found to be complying with the schools admissions code; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  which schools in  (a) Northamptonshire,  (b) Manchester and  (c) Barnet were found not to be complying with the schools admissions code; what violations of the code were found in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 11 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 4-7W, on school admissions (strengthening the system), 
	(1)  if he will list the schools in Northamptonshire, Manchester and Barnet that  (a) ask parents to commit to making financial contributions as a condition of admission,  (b) do not give looked after children the priority required by law,  (c) ask about the marital status, occupation or financial status of parents,  (d) give priority on the basis of family members who are not siblings attending the school and  (e) interview children;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the letter sent by his Department to Northamptonshire county council, Manchester city council and Barnet borough council regarding the admissions arrangements of schools in those areas.

Jim Knight: As I announced to Parliament on 11 March 2008, we have written to all the schools where we have found evidence of non-compliance with the School Admissions Code and admissions legislation and have asked them to verify our findings. When this process is complete we will release the names of the schools we wrote to and identify those with non-compliant admission arrangements, and will report back to the House.

Schools: Admissions

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to his written ministerial statement of 11 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 4-7WS, on school admissions (strengthening the system), on what day his Department wrote to  (a) Northamptonshire county council,  (b) Manchester city council and  (b) Barnet borough council asking them to verify the findings of the review into their published admission arrangements.

Jim Knight: The officials wrote to Barnet, Manchester and Northampton local authorities on 10 March 2008.

Schools: Disadvantaged

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what proportion of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools had (i) less than 10 per cent. of children, (ii) less than 20 per cent. of children and (iii) more than 50 per cent. of children entitled to free school dinners in (A) 1997 and (B) 2007;
	(2)  what proportion of schools in each  (a) region and  (b) London local authority in pupil entitlement to free school dinners declined between 1997 and 2007.

Jim Knight: Information from the School Census shows that, taking primary and secondary schools together, in 1997 in England 34 per cent. of schools had less than 10 per cent., 60 per cent. had less than 20 per cent. and 8 per cent. had more than 50 per cent. of children entitled to free school dinners. In 2007 these figures were respectively 48 per cent., 70 per cent. and 4 per cent.
	Further information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Schools: Expenditure

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much of the schools budget was spent on (a) books and learning resources and  (b) ICT equipment in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  (a) Books and Learning Resources 
			   
			 Nursery 7,234,593 
			 Primary 533,651,478 
			 Secondary 743,343,412 
			 Special 54,318,230 
			 Total 1,338,547,713 
		
	
	 (b) The Department does not collect records of expenditure on ICT equipment at school level; however in 2007-08, we allocated 833 million to support ICT in schools, including for the purchase of new equipment. The Department does not ring-fence capital allocations to local authorities. Accordingly, it does not maintain records of capital spending in respect of ICT equipment.

Schools: Lincolnshire

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was allocated to local authorities in north-east Lincolnshire through the dedicated schools grant in each year since its introduction; how many  (a) Sure Start centres,  (b) children's centres,  (c) academies and  (d) special schools there are in each such authority; and how much was spent on school buildings in those authorities in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The dedicated schools grant for north-east Lincolnshire was 93.904 million in 2006-07 and 92.859 million in 2007-08. The indicative DSG allocations for 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 are 91.129 million, 92.952 million and 94.811 million respectively. These are based on the Department's pupil projections for these years. The final allocations will reflect actual pupil numbers.
	There are:
	 (a) and  (b) currently nine designated Sure Start children's centres;
	 (c) three academies; and
	 (d) two community special schools.
	The capital allocation for north-east Lincolnshire is as follows:
	
		
			million 
			 1997-98 0.9 
			 1998-99 3.5 
			 1999-2000 35 
			 2000-01 6.1 
			 2001-02 4.4 
			 2002-03 9.2 
			 2003-04 7.7 
			 2004-05 7.5 
			 2005-06 7.3 
			 2006-07 (1)23.6 
			 2007-08 19.9 
			 (1) The large allocation in 2006-07 includes 11.9 million of targeted capital funding.

Schools: Offensive Weapons

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many times schools have exercised the power to randomly screen pupils using metal detectors since October 2006; and how many weapons have been recovered as a result of such searches;
	(2)  how many searches without consent have been conducted by schools of pupils suspected of carrying a weapon since May 2007; and how many weapons have been recovered as a result of such searches.

Jim Knight: We announced in October 2006 that schools can randomly screen pupils for weapons using metal detectors and we introduced a power in May 2007 for head teachers to search without consent any pupil they suspected of carrying a weapon. We do not collect figures showing the number of such screenings or searches or the number of weapons seized by either method. We shall review the search power within three years of implementation when we shall also consider the effects of screening.

Schools: Standards

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of the 100 most improved schools based on sustained improvement between 2004 and 2007 are located in London; and what proportion of secondary schools are located in London.

Jim Knight: 21 of the 100 most improved schools based on sustained improvement between 2004 and 2007 are located in London. This figure is based on improvement in the proportion of 15-year-olds (age at start of academic year, i.e. 31 August) achieving 5 A*-C grades at GCSE or equivalent, including English and Mathematics.
	There are 712 secondary schools located in London. This is 14.1 per cent. of all secondary schools.

Schools: Sustainable Development

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what publicly funded sources of information are available to head teachers who want to  (a) reduce the carbon footprint of their school and  (b) promote environmentally friendly behaviour within their school and community;
	(2)  what sources of public funds are available to head teachers to take steps to reduce the carbon footprint of their school;
	(3)  what sources of public funds are available for head teachers who wish to spend money on the deployment of renewable energy technology within their school;
	(4)  what sources of public funds are available to support head teachers who wish to promote energy efficiency in their school;
	(5)  what plans he has to increase the amount of  (a) information and  (b) funding for head teachers who wish to (i) reduce the carbon footprint of their school and (ii) promote environmentally friendly behaviour in the school and community.

Jim Knight: The National Framework for Sustainable Schools provides an overarching structure for schools to consider the impact of their curriculum, their campus and their place in the community on the environment and on sustainable development more widely. It supports schools to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours that young people will need to ensure their futures in a sustainable world.
	The Department has funded the production of the following resources to support head teachers and other school stakeholders in reducing the carbon footprint of their schools and to promote environmentally friendly behaviour within schools and communities:
	A Sustainable Schools website which is hosted on www.teachernet.gov.uk and provides links to sources of information and support from a range of public and third sector bodies.
	A self-evaluation tool (s3) has been designed to help schools evaluate their current efforts to create a sustainable school and to inform their next steps.
	Guidance for governors (including a training package) to help them understand the benefits of sustainable schools, and provide the leadership necessary to position sustainability at the heart of school life.
	Guidance for bursarsa short handbook addressing energy, water, waste, travel and procurement issues in schools.
	Guidance for teacherscurriculum resources and information about professional development.
	Top tips guidance on the following doorways in the sustainable schools national framework: energy and water, sustainable travel, and waste.
	The Carbon Detectives' Kit for children and young people to help them measure their school's carbon footprint and set targets to reduce it.
	The National College for School Leadership (NCSL) are currently developing a resource for school leaders which will provide practical tips for developing sustainability.
	In addition to the advice and materials already available to support the National Framework for Sustainable Schools, we will shortly publish new guidance called Planning a Sustainable School which will enable schools to develop strategic plans to drive school improvement through Sustainable development. The guidance will be available in March 2008.
	The Department has no plans to list the sources of public funding available to head teachers for investment in energy efficiency, deployment of renewable energy or the reduction of a school's carbon footprint. This service is already available from government agencies and other organisations, which provide information on funding available for these measures nationally and regionally, and which list both public and private sources of funding.
	Under the New Relationship with Schools we are committed to high levels of delegated budget and fewer specific funding streamsso we are not inventing another pot of funding that schools would have to account for separately. A Sustainable school works smarter with its existing budget. A Bursar's guide to Sustainable school operation outlines measures that can be taken to reduce a school's environmental impact and make real cash savings while enhancing the teaching and learning element of Sustainable working practices within the school.

Secondary Education: Admissions

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of children in care who are starting secondary school in September 2008 have been offered a place at their first preference school.

Jim Knight: Legislation now requires admission authorities to give highest priority to children in care when deciding who should have places if schools are oversubscribed.
	The Department is collecting secondary school preference data from local authorities for the first time this year, which will include the number of families obtaining an offer at their first, second, third or lower preference school in each authority area. However, the data provided will not identify individual or specific groups of children. The data were published on 11 March 2008 on the DCSF Research Gateway:
	www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway.

Secondary Education: Admissions

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many children did not gain a place at their first choice of secondary school in  (a) Ribble Valley constituency and  (b) Lancashire in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many children did not gain a place at their first choice of primary school in  (a) Ribble Valley constituency and  (b) Lancashire in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: This is the first year that local authorities have been required to provide data to the Secretary of State on secondary school offers of made to parents on national offer day. These data were published on the DCSF research gateway (www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway) on 11 March at local authority, regional and national levels. Data have not been collected at constituency level. Figures for Lancashire show that 13 per cent. (1,748) of children did not obtain a place at their first choice of secondary school. We do not collect data relating to primary school offers.

Students: Plagiarism

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his policy is on regulation of companies which offer essay writing services for students.

Jim Knight: We have no powers to regulate such companies. In relation to accredited qualifications in England, the awarding bodies are responsible for putting in place procedures to ensure the authenticity of candidates' coursework. The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) develops guidance on behalf of the awarding bodies for dealing with instances of suspected malpractice.
	It places a responsibility on staff in schools and colleges who must sign a written declaration that students' coursework is authentic. Students must also sign a declaration that the coursework they submit is their own work. The guidance is reviewed annually in light of experience.

Vocational Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what research his Department has commissioned since 1997 on the returns to  (a) individuals and  (b) the economy from vocational education; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department has commissioned a number of research projects examining the returns to individuals and the economy from vocational education since 1997. Reports in the departmental research series are as follows:
	Ref: DCSF-CEE-02-07 Returns to Qualifications in England: Updating the Evidence Base on Level 2 and Level 3 Vocational Qualifications, Jenkins et al (2007)
	Ref: RB834Apprenticeships and Other Vocational Qualifications: A Cost-Benefit Analysis, Macintosh (2007)
	Ref: RB370Further Analysis of the Returns to Academic and Vocational Qualifications, Macintosh et al (2002)
	Ref: 2001074Literature Review on Rates of Return to Higher Education, London School of Economics (2002)
	Ref: 2002023Labour Market Returns to Graduates from Less Advantaged Backgrounds in the Context of Expansion: A Review of the Literature, London School of Economics (2002)
	Ref: 2002041The returns arising from learning undertaken as adults, Department for Education and Employment (2002)
	Ref: RB313Returns to Education: Evidence from the Labour Force Survey, Walker and Zhu (2001)
	Ref: RR254The Returns to Education: A Review of Evidence, Issues and Deficiencies in the Literature, Harmon and Walker (2001)
	Ref: RR192The Returns to Academic Vocational and Basic Skills in Britain, Dearden et al (2000)
	Ref: 28199Returns to Education - evidence using a sample of UK twins, Institute of Education (2000)
	Ref: 15696Returns to Higher Education Qualifications, Institute of Fiscal Studies (1998)
	Ref: 16398Returns to Education and Training - a Review of Evidence, Institute of Fiscal Studies (1998)
	In addition, the Department co-funds the Centre for the Economics of Education. This research centre has also carried out a lot of research on the returns to the economy and individuals from vocational education and training. Their publications can be found on their website at: http://cee.lse.ac.uk
	The Department will continue to monitor the returns to education and training, both through commissioned research and through internal analysis of data. It is vital that we gain as full an understanding as possible of the returns to training and qualifications. This will enable us to make sure that the qualifications we deliver in future provide economically valuable skills for individuals, employers and the economy as a whole, and help us to achieve the ambitions for a high-skilled work force set out in the Leitch report on skills.

Young People: Crime

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will include issues relating to crime among young people, including anti-social behaviour and knife crime, in the national curriculum.

Jim Knight: The revised curriculum for Citizenship in secondary schools provides opportunities to explore the issue of crime, antisocial behaviour and carrying weapons through an examination of the concepts of democracy and justice, weighing up what is fair and unfair in different situations, understanding that justice is fundamental to a democratic society and exploring the role of law in maintaining order and resolving conflict. Through the concept of rights and responsibilities pupils can explore legal and moral rights and the responsibilities that go with these.
	In addition, the framework for Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE) provides opportunities for pupils to be taught to recognise and manage risk to help them make safer choices and to recognise when pressure from others threatens their personal safety. Pupils learn about developing relationships, recognising their rights and responsibilities and that their actions have consequences. As PSHE is non-statutory, the implementation of the subject is decided by schools on an individual basis.